The Key to Atlantis
by Psalm 136
Summary: Wraith and Replicators are bearing down on Atlantis, and the team and SG-1 don't have a hope... or a ZPM. Atlantis' chair is keeping them out, without an explanation. What's the key to Atlantis, and will they find it in time? Sparky, Jack/Sam. Complete
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate: Atlantis or any of the characters

**Title: The Key to Atlantis**

**Author: Psalm 136**

**Rating: T for minor swearing and action.**

**Author's Notes: I wanted to repost the first chapter to explain some things. I retitled the story, and rewrote the summary. When I first started this story, I meant to focus mainly on the two OCs I came up with, but the plot ran away from me, so basically, there are two plots: what happens with Makran and Tallis, and the threat to Atlantis. **

**Chapter four, I believe, may seem rather awkward and oddly written, and possibly unnecessary. I wanted to show that the Earth explorers wouldn't just allow someone to live there; they would need to be questioned and such.**

**In the latter chapters, starting around chapter ten, please remember that I am juggling several different plots, along with a few budding romances, so each section may feel choppy and weird, but I am doing what I can. **

**Anyway, thank you for listening and remember to review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate: Atlantis or any of the characters.**

"Sheppard, when I say the planet's probably perfectly safe, I'm talking only a twenty or thirty percent chance that the Wraith have culled it and taken up residence there. That's seventy or eighty percent safety!"

Strangely enough, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard was not comforted by Dr. McKay's words. He wandered from the column he had been leaning against to look over Rodney's shoulder. On his laptop was several images taken of the planet. The Gate was in the middle of an evergreen forest. The climate seemed mild, and the planet was in the middle of spring. The Atlantis expedition had been watching the planet for several months, and there had been no sign of the Wraith. There had also been no sign of people.

Dr. Elizabeth Weir's arrival was announced by the light clacking of her low heels against the floor. Both men looked up as the door to the conference room shut behind her. She smiled in greeting and was soon followed by Teyla and Ronon.

"Shall we begin?" Elizabeth asked, and John took his seat next to her. Teyla lowered herself gracefully into a chair and Ronon remained standing, ever the protector, ready to launch into battle. "What is the status of MXP-328, Rodney?" She turned her attention to the Canadian scientist.

He swelled with smugness as he pushed his laptop and the images over to Elizabeth. "Despite what flyboy over here thinks, the planet has been Wraith-free for the five months we have surveyed it. I have gone over the data we received and the climate and the atmosphere is better for us than Earth is." He rubbed his hands together. "As chief scientist, I say we check it out. Maybe there's someone we can trade with. With a planet like that, I'm sure they have some great food. Maybe a perfected form of lasagna?" He asked hopefully.

"McKay, some people are actually here to study and examine these other planets." Sheppard reminded him dryly.

Teyla smiled at Elizabeth, leaning forward slightly. "What is your decision, Elizabeth? From what Rodney has told me beforehand, there is no reason not to go. It seems like a peaceful planet that has passed under the eye of the Wraith." She looked up at John when he huffed in an almost childlike fashion. "Is there anything about the planet that disagrees with you, Colonel?" She asked calmly.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and turned to look at John. "Yes, Colonel, you seem almost adamant about not stepping foot on the planet. Why?" She inquired. Her question was merely a question, and held no malicious or accusing undertones.

Sheppard shrugged, leaning back in his chair, surveying his team. "I'm sorry, it's just when Rodney mentions percent chances about Wraith, it just doesn't give me warm fuzzy feelings on the inside." He refrained from smirking as McKay scoffed.

McKay folded his arms over his chest, absolutely put out that not everyone had complete trust in his obviously amazing skills as a scientist. He knew exactly what he was talking about, whereas, in his opinion, Sheppard was just an undereducated, trigger-happy flyboy. "You know what your problem is? You're absolutely threatened by my prowess as a problem-solver. I couldn't tell you how many times I've had to save your cocky flyboy behind because you just go forward, guns blazing, full steam ahead, without any sort of thought to the consequences of your actions!" He snapped in return.

John raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes. "And I couldn't tell you how many times I've had to save your arrogant ass because you've offended the natives and almost gotten one or both of us shot!" He returned, frustrated.

"They are always going to shoot us anyway!" Rodney was about to go on, but Elizabeth broke on.

"If you two are quite finished?" Though her tone suggested it was a question, the way her eyes flashed, asserting her authority wordlessly, insisted it was not. John and Rodney gave her slightly sheepish nods and looked away. "Thank you, gentlemen." She shared an amused look with Teyla who smiled. "I see no reason not to check out the planet. Colonel Sheppard, your team is cleared for Gate access." Elizabeth used Rodney's laptop to access the day's schedule. "You are free to leave now, if that is acceptable."

Colonel Sheppard sighed and nodded. "That'll be great, Elizabeth. We ready to go?" He looked over his three teammates. Teyla and Ronon nodded, but McKay seemed frantic at the time constraint.

"Of course I'm not ready! I know you wouldn't understand the time it takes to put all the equipment together, but it's not like I can sprinkle some fairy dust and clap my hands, and everything will be ready!" He looked about ready to faint. "Not to mention we have to pack all of our food supplies. I mean, what if we get cut off? It's not out of the realm of possibility for us, considering our luck in the past months!" He turned his attention to Elizabeth. "Are you sure we couldn't wait an hour?"

Elizabeth's voice clearly showed the amusement her schooled mask would not let out. "Weren't you the one that was so ready to get the research on the road? I'm sure Dr. Zelenka can help you get everything together in ten minutes." She tapped her radio. "Zelenka, this is Weir. Prepare everything Dr. McKay will need for research on MXP-328. Thank you, doctor."

Rodney, however, was not placated by a message to the Czech scientist. "Radek will probably mess everything up. I'll be at the Gate in twenty minutes unless he's already started some sort of catastrophe when I leave him alone for five minutes." He mumbled to himself as he stormed out of the conference room.

Ronon nodded to his team leader. "I'm ready to go, Sheppard."

John gave him a wry smile. "And that's why I like you, Ronon."

"I will see you at the Gate, Colonel. I must retrieve my weapons and a few other things." Teyla stated as she stood up. "Unless I am needed?" She turned slightly to look at Elizabeth.

"No, thank you, Teyla." Elizabeth smiled at the Athosian woman, who was possibly the sanest out of the entire team, and therefore, her favorite. Not that Elizabeth Weir, one of the most talented diplomats, would ever play favorites. Of course not.

Ronon followed after Teyla, and John and Elizabeth were left alone in the conference room. Maybe it was just John's imagination, but the atmosphere was suddenly much more tense, and he almost shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. A long, silent moment passed, and he met her eyes. His stomach fluttered, and he cursed the hold she had over him. His feelings for her were dangerous; if any enemy of theirs discovered she was his weakness, then terrible things were headed her way. He refused to acknowledge his feelings and admit them aloud, even to himself. He couldn't, though he didn't know why.

"All will be well, John." Elizabeth assured him quietly.

"Yeah, that's what you always say." He rubbed his neck. "And we end up getting in a lot of trouble."

She exhaled in amusement. "I suppose that's true. But I'm sure you will all be all right, as usual. Your team has an amazing ability to get into the worst trouble and somehow come out better for it." Her amusement faded into seriousness, and she stood up, pausing to collect her thoughts and try to eradicate the nagging notion that Sheppard's eyes had somehow softened as they were fixed on her. "I have only the strongest faith in you and your team, John. Just don't anger any natives, or let Rodney get too close to any untested Ancient technology, and I would advise taking Carson with you."

John chuckled as he stood up. "I don't think the good doctor will appreciate being forced to go off-world on such short notice." He commented, suddenly captivated with the way her almost curly hair bounced as she stood up with her usual, stunning grace.

"You're right." Elizabeth agreed wryly. "But I am serious." She met his eyes. "Carson is worried that one day, when we agree to trade with a people, their medicines will somehow sicken us all. If you meet any natives, his expertise will be beneficial."

"By beneficial expertise, you mean he can prove our medicines are good for trade by getting me shot by the friendly people's sworn enemies, and then treating me as I bleed over our friends' good carpets?" John teased.

"Exactly." Elizabeth replied, laughter in her voice. "Your team is waiting for you, Colonel." She reminded him.

"Yeah." He suddenly regarded her seriously and almost lost himself in her eyes. "We'll be okay, Elizabeth. Don't worry."

"I know." She smiled sadly and watched him as he left the conference room to get his P-90 and get to the Gate.

Elizabeth Weir was at the handrail over the Gate room long before Sheppard's team arrived. She crossed her arms over her chest and greeted Carson Beckett, the most timely and organized of anyone in the Atlantis expedition, save one almost crazy botanist who could also go days subsisting on only power bars and coffee, giving McKay a run for his money, with a kind smile. He smiled back, but everything from his posture to his quick steps screamed that he was nervous. Carson would do anything for the expedition and for Sheppard and his team, but he did not fancy his atoms being torn apart and then shoved back together. Elizabeth didn't like Gate travel much either, and sympathized with him, but he was the best doctor Atlantis had.

Forcing Carson to go with Sheppard's team had only occurred to her that morning in the shower as she went over her daily schedule. Something that had bothered her for the longest time was the fact there might be something on one of the planets that could infect them. So far, they had been very lucky, but what if, one day, an ally's medicine turned out to be damaging to Earth humans? The thought didn't linger well in her stomach. She needed to talk to General O'Neill about getting more medical staff, even military medical, so an experienced doctor or medic could be out on the field at all time.

And with John Sheppard's luck, there was no chance she was letting them step off world without the best to treat them, and Carson was the best.

"Dr. Weir, are you sure this is completely necessary?" Carson's Scottish accent broke through her thoughts.

Elizabeth nodded as she walked down the steps. "I'm afraid so, Carson. You know what kind of trouble Colonel Sheppard can get into, and he was mentioning this planet didn't sit well with him, and I trust his instincts."

"So do I." Carson sighed and accepted that he was going off world.

"Talking about me behind my back, Beckett?" Sheppard asked with his usual bravado as he sauntered into the Gate room. "I don't think I appreciate it, unless it was something good."

"Don't worry, Colonel," Beckett's blue eyes twinkled with mirth. "It wasn't."

"Well now, I'm just hurt by that." John replied as Teyla and Ronon entered the room, side by side as usual, Rodney trailing behind, on his laptop and muttering scientific jargon to himself. "We'll see you when we get back." He faced Elizabeth seriously, and they met each other's eyes calmly as they always did before he left. It was his moment to make peace with himself and the fact that he might never see her again. It was a constant; every time he walked through the Gate, he accepted it might be his last moment with her.

"Godspeed." She answered, as was her custom. "Be careful."

"Have you known me to be anything less than careful?" Sheppard asked, and if one didn't know him well, he appeared to be completely serious.

"Yeah." Ronon spoke up, a smirk pulling at his lips as John looked over his shoulder.

"Thanks." He snarked, and then looked back at Elizabeth. "See you." With that, he turned around and walked through the Gate, trying not to think about how his entire being was being ripped apart, only to be put back together.

Teyla, Ronon and Rodney followed at Sheppard's heels, already assuming their positions. Carson lingered as he took one last look at Atlantis. Unlike Sheppard, Carson was a doctor, and wasn't used to coming to terms with his own mortality. As cruel as it was, part of him was accustomed to seeing death around him, but he wasn't used to realizing he could die within the next few hours. However, Dr. Beckett knew he had some courage in him, perhaps not in the spades John, Teyla or Ronon had, but it was something. He would do what he had to, and he wouldn't complain.

"Goodbye, Carson." Elizabeth gave him the smallest of smiles.

"Don't say that, Elizabeth." Carson muttered, his eyes downcast as he adjusted the P-90 he held. "Don't bloody say that." He repeated as he turned and walked through the Gate. Not that he thought she was saying goodbye, in case he fell in battle. He always got the strangest feeling that when she said goodbye to him, his molecules would somehow not reassemble correctly.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and let it pass through her lips, and she refused to dwell on thoughts of the team that had just left the Gate. Instead, she turned her mind towards the work she had left to do. She needed to confer with Dr. Zelenka on the matter of their newest alliance with an amphibious people, and she had an appointment with one of the botanists, who were going crazy over their new find. She had several revised treaties to sign off on, if they met her strict approval, and she had a report to prepare for the IOA. The Daedalus would be coming to Atlantis within the next month and there still were a few things on her list that she needed to add to Atlantis' next supply order.

Still… she looked over her shoulder once, indulging her always fearful thoughts that one day, Colonel Sheppard's team wouldn't step back through the Gate with some horror story to tell her, that one day, she would not feel the warmth of Teyla's presence or see the dedication in Ronon's eyes. She worried that someday, Rodney would no longer be there to offer his extensive knowledge or to annoy them, which kept the entire expedition sane. She was scared of the idea of not having Sheppard there to help her lead.

No. She couldn't keep letting these thoughts flit around her head unchecked. He was her second-in-command, and the military leader of Atlantis. There were so many reasons why they shouldn't be together, but Elizabeth Weir, though she had a nice little 'Dr.' to put at the front of her name, was still an insecure teenage girl on the inside who was attracted to the reckless flyboy who never looked more at home than he did in Atlantis.


	2. Chapter 2

**So, this is the chapter in which we meet up with a couple of new characters. Please review and tell me what you think of them!**

**Disclaimer: I wish Beckett was mine, but we don't get what we want. Even for Christmas.**

The first thing Sheppard noticed about the planet was how fresh it smelled. His lungs filled with the delicious air and he felt immediately lightened and relaxed. Of course, there was a moment where he worried the air had some unknown gas that was slowly drugging them all. He could pretty much count on something like that happening, but even McKay didn't start jabbering in his hypochondriac way and Beckett didn't ask any of them if they were feeling different, so he assumed all was well and the air was a good thing. Air usually was, after all.

The beautiful trees reached up gracefully towards the clear blue sky. The warm sun cast rays down upon the five-man team, and considering what they had been through in the last months, this felt almost like a vacation. There were no Wraith shooting at them, no Genii defecting on them, and there were no crazy natives assuming Ronan and Teyla were married. While Sheppard was almost one-hundred-percent sure neither of them were adverse to the idea, crazy native rituals concerning marriages… yeah, not so pretty. He wanted to avoid something like that and maybe give Elizabeth some good news once in a while. To keep her on her toes, obviously.

"Are you reading anything, Rodney?" John asked over his shoulder, his eyes still trained on the forest in front of them as they made their way into the underbrush. Though they looked and smelled like evergreens, John was pretty sure they didn't grow with heavy underbrush on Earth. He glared unnecessarily as a thorn caught on his gray pants and nearly ripped them.

"No, nothing at all. Which is rather weird, unless the Wraith have somehow managed to thwart my device. Which, of course, would be rather inconvenient as we have five people." McKay rambled on incessantly.

"Three." Ronon corrected him.

"What?" Rodney looked up, not listening to anyone else as usual.

"We have three people who can fight. Then we got you and Beckett." Ronon gave Beckett what could almost be construed as an apologetic glance. Probably for lumping the doctor in with McKay. Not that McKay wasn't a good person… he was simply McKay.

And to quote Dr. Weir, "Simply because someone is unique doesn't mean they are useful." She had been talking about a unique culture in which newcomers are gifted with a feast (the main dish is one of their own people) that one of the scientists thought would be a good learning situation for the new scientists that had just arrived on the Daedalus. Ronon thought Elizabeth was a very good leader.

"Well, excuse me, just because I don't run around, waving a gun everywhere doesn't mean I can't fight." Rodney huffed. "Beckett's the one that can't fight." He muttered petulantly.

Carson shot Sheppard an amused glance, and then looked at Rodney. Then, as if reviewing what he intended to say, he faced forward and decided against speaking. They were on a mission, after all.

John relaxed his grip on his P-90, though he did not let it hang at his side. Something about this planet both relaxed him and kept him on edge. He did not sense anything sinister about the place, but his mind was rationally reminding him that they were trouble magnets. Wherever they went, something bad was bound to happen, which made him grateful for Beckett's presence. He was one of the most competent doctors Sheppard had ever met, and the best choice for a battle situation. He could shoot with relatively good aim and he kept a cool head even if bombs were going off every which way. John wasn't too concerned about anything of them _dying_ but the chance for violence to occur was pretty high.

The team continued walking for ten minutes, not covering as much ground as John would like, considering they had come into contact with the most lovely variety of bushes that covered every inch of the ground. Oh, and they also had thorns. Wonderful.

"I'm going to need a tetanus shot after this, Carson!" Rodney complained loudly. "My forearm feels like it's catching a bit, I'm sure it's a muscle spasm!"

Somehow, Carson remained patient. "It's not a muscle spasm, Rodney, I'm sure."

"I'm pretty sure it is." The scientist twitched as he looked around. "I'm also pretty sure some crazy natives are going to jump out at us soon enough. You know how much trouble we get into, and we haven't even done anything this time! Oh, we're going to die here, aren't we?"

"McKay, I'm leaving you here unless you don't quiet down." Sheppard stated seriously.

"You can't do that." Rodney snapped smugly. "You guys need me to get you out of the terrible situations that, by the way, are not my fault."

"What about the thing with the feathers?" Ronon asked.

"How was I supposed to know they were actually fierce animals who really thought we'd be tasty?" Rodney waved off Ronon's comment. In his arrogance, he obviously believed Ronon didn't truly understand what had gone on. "Besides…" He was about to continue when he glanced down at the life signs detector. "Huh, that's odd."

"What is it?" John asked, falling back into his role as leader easily. He left his place at the head of the ground, stepping through the thorny bushes as best he could. He looked over Rodney's shoulder.

"There's a rather large cluster of life signs ahead. Probably a small village. Considering this planet's size, there's no reason why that couldn't be the entire population, especially if they're primitive." McKay explained casually. "No sentries, and we've seen no outposts. Probably very primitive."

Sheppard nodded. "Well, that's good. Let's hope they're friendly." He offered a wry smile towards his team, and then continued onward.

The team trudged through three hundred more yards until they decided to rest against a small break in the undergrowth. It was a rather insignificant rock formation, rising only six feet at an angle from the ground that had morphed from completely flat to almost treacherous in the way it waved and dipped at odd times. Rodney's complaints had caused Carson to dig through his organized medical kit for bandages and basic antiseptic to deal with the scientist's admittedly medium-sized gashes.

Ronon shifted, his stunner constantly in his hand. "I don't like this place."

"And why not?" John asked mock-seriously. "It's a perfect vacation spot. Now, if there was only a beach, some beer and a surfboard. I could be happy here." He covered his own worries with a joke.

"It's too peaceful. Something's bound to happen." Ronon answered.

Teyla broke in with a gentle smile. "I am sure we're all just used to danger and things going wrong. An uneventful mission is not a terrible thing." She reminded them.

"Teyla's right." Carson agreed as he stood up, tucking the antiseptic bottle and the unused bandages back into his kit. "No one passed by the Gate in the entire time we watched it; maybe it's uninhabited."

"Well," Rodney groused as he stood up. "With the way our luck has gone, these people just have developed a shield to hide most of them, and the life signs I saw are just fakes."

"Speaking of which, Rodney, check to see how far we have to go." John told the scientist, going to lean against the rock casually. He stuck a hand out to support himself in his leaning, and his hand never touched rock. Instead, he fell through and landed hard on his side. "What the?"

"Colonel?" He could hear Teyla's voice, but he couldn't see her.

"I think the rock's just a shield, guys." Sheppard announced as he stood up, and then spotted a small device not very far away from him in the dark cave he had fallen into. It was similar to something he had seen in Rodney's lab, and he reached over and felt for a switch. When he found a dial instead, he turned it. What had once seemed like a solid rock face disappeared to reveal his team. "Hey guys. Nice to see you." He greeted.

"The life signs are ahead." Rodney began right where Sheppard had left off. "I thought they were ahead of us, when they were really underground. I think this leads to them." He looked around. "Where did my flashlight go?"

John, Teyla and Carson turned on the lights on their P-90s and Rodney easily found his smaller version of a floodlight. With their illumination, the team walked down the tunnel. There was nothing suspicious about it; it was merely dark, damp and very cold, but considering the circumstances, no one was complaining. All were on edge, and the entire team expected something to jump out at them soon.

Suddenly, a foreign gun was raining bullets on them, and caught John on the shoulder. He swore viciously and returned fire, as did the rest of his team. The pain assaulted him and he felt very faint, but his mind forced away the pain. There was no time to deal with his wounds, but as soon as this skirmish was over, he comforted himself, Beckett could patch him up and he'd be as good as new. Besides, he was sure it had merely grazed him. And for Lt. Colonel John Sheppard, "graze" was the word he used when something had sliced only an inch deep through his flesh.

Teyla took refuge in a small dip in the cave wall, and Ronon crouched down, making himself a smaller target. Rodney ducked behind a small boulder, propping himself up slightly to return fire. Sheppard pressed himself against the wall, trying to find an indentation to give him any sort of protection. Carson was behind him but was careful to shoot around him, his eyes on the blood dripping from his friend's bent elbow.

A voice cried out from the other side of the battle when someone else screamed. "Cease fire!" And the enemy fire stopped.

John tentatively motioned for his team to lower their firearms. They glanced at him, but stopped firing obediently. A light was turned on, and they could see the faces of their enemies. They were shocked; there was not a face that betrayed an age older than nineteen. Their enemies had ducked behind boulders and other large objects, as well as standing behind the bend in the tunnel that veered sharply to the left, and they were slowly leaving their posts as the orders of their obvious leader, a tall young woman who was shadowed by a young man who was taller than she.

The young woman took several tentative steps forward, her weapon lowered. The others followed her example, but stayed behind, tending to another young man who was bleeding on the ground.

Carson stepped around Ronon to stand next to Sheppard. "I'm an experienced doctor and I can help your man." He stated to the leader. He pulled the strap of his P-90 over his head and handed it to Teyla to show he meant no harm. "I won't hurt him."

The young woman met his eyes evenly, and then nodded. "Very well, stranger." She looked at the young man who stood beside her. "Makran, watch him." She ordered, and the young man followed Beckett to where the injured boy lay.

Carson immediately set to work, opening his medical pack and searching for all that he'd need. The shot was a clean one, and the bullet had gone all the way through. He was sure enough that there were no remnants of metal in the boy's shoulder that he felt comfortable stitching him up there. The Scottish doctor looked down at the boy who was pale out of fear, rather than extreme blood loss.

"It's alright, lad." He assured his patient. "I'll just stitch you up and give you a light painkiller. You're going to be absolutely fine."

"Is anything stuck in there?" Makran, the man watching the doctor work, asked suspiciously.

Carson looked up as he prepared the needle to stitch up the injured boy. "The bullet's gone completely through, and I can't see anything. There might be a few specks of metal, but nothing life-threatening or debilitating." He explained and offered a small smile. Makran didn't return it.

Sheppard turned his attention back to the leader of their enemies when he was sure Carson wasn't about to be attacked and hurt, only slightly resentful that Carson hadn't tended to him first; the rest of his emotions were glad he did so, since it showed good will. "I'm Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. That is Dr. Carson Beckett, and this is Dr. Rodney McKay, and this is Teyla Emmagen and Ronon Dex. We're explorers, and we thought this planet was uninhabited." He explained, groaning slightly as he accidentally moved his injured shoulder. "I'm sorry about one of us hitting your man."

The young woman nodded. "And I am sorry that my people fired on yours. We did not expect anyone to find our entrance, much less that you would be friendly, if you did." She explained. "My name is Tallis. If you would come with me, we can offer you some semblance of hospitality."

Sheppard looked over his shoulder at his team, and while they were wary, as he was, no one's instincts were warning them to leave immediately. Though that didn't promise these people could suddenly attack them, it was something. They followed after Tallis, and her soldiers followed behind them. Makran stayed behind with Carson and the injured boy. Carson had assured them they would catch up once the stitches were in place. The good doctor's word was good enough for Sheppard, but he left Ronon with him. Just in case.

"I'll take a look at your shoulder the moment I'm there, Colonel." Beckett promised as he quickly examined John's bleeding shoulder. "It went through as well. Teyla, if you could…"

The Athosian smiled gently. "I will stop the blood, Dr. Beckett."

And with that, they were off.

"If you don't mind me asking," Sheppard began. "Why are you all living in a cave when it seems perfectly fine outside?"

Tallis looked over her shoulder with a grim look and stopped walking so she and John would be side by side. "Recently, there was a plague. It did not affect most of the young people except very young infants, but almost all of the adults seemed to catch it simultaneously. My father's last order was that we, the survivors, should move into the caves with all of our people's supplies, save that which would sustain the adults before their inevitable deaths. My father relinquished his power, and I have led us ever since." Her voice was low, but even. The conflict in her dark brown eyes clearly showed how hard it was for her to tell the tale of the demise of her people, her family.

"So all that is left is the children?" Teyla asked.

Tallis nodded. "Yes, and a few young adults. There were about a hundred of us to begin with, but our numbers have dwindled to thirty-four. Most of the deaths were caused by wild animal attacks or various illnesses that we did not know how to treat." She took a deep breath and forced herself to walk straight and tall, to be strong for the young people that followed her. "Here we are."

John ducked his head underneath a slight lip, and entered a large cavern. There were several tunnels that branched off and the Atlantean team could see slightly down them, thanks to the roaring fire and the torches that illuminated the area. It seemed a central meeting area, this evident from the thick blankets that were spread around the fire, just out of reach of the sparks, and the large metal pot that hung over the flames.

"Please," Tallis smiled at them. "Sit and rest. Are you hungry?"

Rodney seemed about to speak, but John beat him to it. "No, we are absolutely fine." He smiled in return, attempting to remain friendly and calm.

Within minutes of their entrance to the cavern, before Teyla had time to take out some gauze for John, Ronon, Carson, Makran and the boy who had been injured entered as well. Ronon studied their surroundings quickly and found no threats, so he took a seat beside Teyla. Carson immediately was at John's side and taking the vest from John's shoulders.

"Off with your shirt, Colonel." The doctor ordered as he opened his medical kit once more to deal with another patient. When he saw John struggle with it, Carson stopped him and cut the material away quickly, pleased when the cotton fabric did not stick to the wound.

"If you will excuse me, I must take Yeldon to rest." Tallis said as she stood up and put an arm around the boy. "Makran, make our guests comfortable."

Makran nodded to Tallis, and then turned to John and the others. "We would be honored if you would join us for our midday meal. It is simple, but it is better when in the company of… friends?" He asked, his entire manner transformed from the hard soldier to a gracious host.

"I see no reason why we're not friends. We both sustained one injury, and coincidentally, it's the same. Eye for an eye, and all that." John said as warmly as he could with Carson forcing him to lie down as the doctor could examine the wound. "You don't have a suicide pact in your culture, do you?"

"Why would we do that?" Makran asked, confused.

"No reason." Sheppard replied.

"Bloody hell, there's a fragment." Beckett muttered, his accent thickening in his frustration. He had hoped Sheppard would be as lucky as Yeldon, but no, of course he wouldn't be. It was Sheppard. Subconsciously, Carson was sure Sheppard loved having difficult situations come at him. "Hold still, Sheppard, as I numb the area."

"Like I have a choice." John muttered to alleviate his own anxiety. Bullet fragments were nasty things, but he trusted Carson to do all he could without the infirmary in Atlantis.

"Teyla, could you hand me the tweezers?" He asked calmly over his shoulder. With the slight probing he had done, the wound seemed to bleed more. He wasn't too worried; with stitches, bandages and rest, Sheppard would be fine, once he removed the fragment. He quickly injected John with a syringe full of regional anesthesia directly into his shoulder.

Teyla was at his side, the tweezers in hand, along with a bottle of rubbing alcohol so Carson might clean it beforehand. He thanked her and took both. He cleaned the tweezers and looked at the wound he had on his hands. He was glad he had thought to change his latex gloves before they followed after Sheppard, Tallis and the others.

When he tested the area and John admitted he could feel no pain, he felt ready to begin. Effortlessly, Dr. Beckett removed the bullet fragment from the inside of the wound. He then took a strong antiseptic from his bag and coated the wounded tissue with it. With an experienced hand, Beckett closed the wound, using the smallest stitches he could manage. The procedure took little time, and Beckett had finished bandaging and was administering a painkiller to John by the time Tallis returned.

"Is he well?" She asked, sincere concern on her face.

"Aye, he'll be fine. Colonel Sheppard's had much worse before." He turned an eye to his patient who made to stand up. "No, Colonel, you're resting." He warned.

"Fine." John agreed, but slipped on his jacket, feeling cold, despite being close to the fire.

It was then that the Atlantean team, not focusing on Sheppard's wound, realized Tallis had been joined by what seemed to be the remaining population of the planet's people. They warily took seats around the fire, away from the strangers. Among them, John could see ages ranging from four years to Tallis and Makran's age. They were all very young and very afraid of the newcomers. Still, with the assurances of their leader and older siblings, they helped themselves to the evening meal with complaint.

Tallis delegated the job of feeding their guests to a few of her subordinates and all five of them were given bowls of steaming stew that smelled delicious. They dug in heartily, and the room was filled with the chatter of children for a long while.

"So, if you do not mind me asking, where are you from?" Tallis asked politely. Both she and Makran had taken seats near their guests.

Sheppard looked up from the scrumptious food. "Atlantis." He answered, not feeling that these children were a threat.

"I thought the home of the Ancestors was abandoned." Makran stated, giving John a questioning look.

"It was, but we thought it was nice. You know, a summer home." He answered cheerfully.

"Ah, I see." Tallis commented. She seemed almost hesitant to continue. "Dr. Beckett," She addressed the Scottish physician with an interested tone. "You have very advanced medical equipment. I have always found medicine quite stimulating; would you mind showing me a few of your techniques sometime after the meal?"

Carson seemed almost beside himself with glee that someone took an interest in his art. "Of course, miss Tallis. It would be my pleasure."

"Don't get too excited, Carson." Rodney warned him. "If she's actually interested in your voodoo, this can't mean good things for us."

Tallis appeared offended, so Teyla stepped in. "Do not mind them, Tallis." She smiled at the younger woman. "It is simply Dr. McKay's way of showing his friendship to Dr. Beckett by demeaning his profession." She placed her empty bowl down. "Would you tell us more of how you came to be in this place?"

Tallis nodded. "Very well." She put her food down. She didn't have much of an appetite anyway, thinking of how she had lost her people. "It has been two years since the plague forced us here. We spend three hours outside, and we use that time to bathe in the nearby river and forage for what food we can find. Because of that, our supplies that were meant to last for a year and a half can now last us for three more years." At that thought, her features darkened with sadness.

"I am very glad you have come here, and that you are friendly." She continued cautiously. "I… have need to ask a great thing from you."

"Yeah?" John asked.

"My people cannot continue to live here." She stated. "The conditions are terrible, but we cannot live outside in the forest, because the Wraith would find us. Those of us who are old enough to work have little knowledge of farming or anything of the like. I am asking for your help to move my people to another planet." Tallis took a deep breath and looked into their faces.

It was then that Sheppard realized just how young she was. She couldn't be more than eighteen, and though leading her people and surviving in these caves had matured her quickly, she was still not much more than a child. He also saw something in her that reminded him of Elizabeth; there was nothing else she could do for her people but beg that they, strangers that had appeared on her planet one day, would offer some form of aid.

Tallis took their momentary silence as a message that they were unsure of whether to help her and continued on, her words almost running together. "I realize we have nothing to offer you, but I am sure you would be interested in some of our weapons or our traditional medicines, though what Dr. Beckett has in his pack is much more advanced than anything we have…"

John lifted a hand to stop her. "I'll see what I can do. Teyla, take her back to the Gate and talk to Elizabeth." He told his teammate, fully aware that Carson would not want him walking so soon after the stitches had been put in. "When that's all wrapped up, radio me and we'll follow."

Tallis nodded, smiling brightly. She turned to look at Makran who John had identified as her second-in-command or simply her protector and he smiled in return. He had remained silent through their entire conversation, taking in the words of the Atlantis team and watching for any sign of hostility. Though he had also taken a bowl of food, his gun laid at his side.

Sheppard picked his bowl back up and continued eating. Well, at least something good had happened for once.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own SGA or any of the characters.**

For an hour, the team relaxed around the fire and got to know some of the children, who had quickly become comfortable with the off-worlders due to Sheppard's charm with kids, Teyla's motherly qualities and Beckett's interesting accent. The doctor, however, good to his promise, was busy acquainting the young leader with all of the things in his medical kit and what their functions were. After Carson had finished showing the young woman the proper way to change a dressing on the boy who had been shot earlier, Teyla offered to take Tallis to the Gate. She had agreed, and left Makran in charge, as seemed to be their custom. Tallis followed silently.

"What is your planet called?" Teyla asked curiously, eager to get to know this young leader.

"Kella." Tallis replied. She studied Teyla's face for a moment. "You and Ronon are not like the others; where are you from?"

"I am from Athos, and Ronon is from Sateda." Teyla smiled, glad Tallis felt comfortable enough to engage in conversation. "We joined the Atlantis expedition because we felt it was a worthy cause as we all fight the Wraith, and that we could offer them much knowledge."

Tallis nodded. "I can understand that. You both know this galaxy well." She seemed slightly uneasy, and played with the hems of her long sleeves. She was dressed in a nondescript outfit that allowed her to blend with the forest, and had no adornment to tag her as a leader.

"Has your family always ruled Kella?" Teyla questioned. "You mentioned that your father had put you in power. Are you not very young for such a position?"

"Oh, no." Tallis shook her head. "I believe my culture is different from yours and that of the others." She paused to gather her thoughts quickly. "A child becomes an adult at about seventeen in my culture. My family, yes, has ruled Kella for many years, and since I am my parents' eldest, I have been groomed since I was very young to rule. I had a very strict education that included academics, as well as learning to fight and to rule. I accompanied my father many times on trade negotiations, and was allowed a small role in those talks. I was not to take power until my father abdicated, but with conditions as they were, my father stepped down early."

"I see. How old were you?" Teyla looked down at Tallis and did not think the young woman could have been older than seventeen, perhaps younger. From the conversation they had shared in the cavern, she was very intelligent, but she was very young for such a stressful position, leading the remnants of her civilization into an unknown future.

"I was fourteen when we first came to the caves. I am seventeen, now, the age of adulthood in my culture." Tallis answered with a heavy sigh. "I feel very insignificant because of my age." She confided wearily. "I do not know how to help my people. Most of them are children who are very dependent on us older ones, and there are too few older children to aid the younger ones. I realize what a risk I am taking to trust you, when I have just met you, but there is no other way."

"I understand your dilemma, and while it may not mean much, you can trust us." Teyla assured her, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Colonel Sheppard is a good example of the people in Atlantis. They are all strong and resourceful. They are also very kind and there is no doubt in my mind that Dr. Weir will assist you."

"Dr. Weir?" Tallis inquired.

"She is the leader of the expedition." Teyla supplied.

Tallis nodded. "Thank you, Teyla. Your reassurances do calm me, and I hope that Dr. Weir will help us."

The two women lapsed into silence and walked for ten more minutes. With their quick pace, by the end of those ten minutes, they were at the Gate. Teyla dialed Atlantis on the DHD.

"Teyla, is there a situation?" Elizabeth Weir's voice asked.

"No, Dr. Weir, do not worry." Teyla assured the other woman. "Instead, I am asking for approval to bring a visitor. Her name is Tallis, and she is the leader of the people here. Their people have been decimated by a plague, and they are nothing more than a group of children. She is asking for our help to relocate them." Teyla explained.

There was a pause as Elizabeth was inevitably ordering Major Lorne to get a few marines down at the Gate. Elizabeth's voice came once more, "You have approval. The shield is down. Weir out."

"Come." Teyla led Tallis to the Gate and they both stepped through.

Tallis carefully schooled her face into one of neutrality as she had been taught, though the enormity of Atlantis awed her. A million questions burst into her head on the architecture and what exactly the technicians in the control room above were doing, but she remained silent. She noticed the six marines that had their weapons trained on her, but did not feel threatened. She had some experience with Ancestral Ring travel and though she had been with her father, she too had always been greeted with a military escort, just in case. She took no offense and faced the brunette woman who was approaching her from the stairs.

"Welcome to Atlantis, Tallis." The woman greeted her. "I am Elizabeth Weir, and I head the expedition here. Come with me to my office, we can speak in private there."

"Very well." Tallis agreed and followed Dr. Weir. When they reached her office and Tallis had seated herself, she glanced around the room. "Dr. Weir, your city is very beautiful. I have not seen anything like it, even with the Ancestors' buildings on my home planet." Though it was considered good manners to compliment a host's home, Tallis' compliment was not out of good manners, it was out of sheer awe of the size and beauty of Atlantis.

"Thank you." Elizabeth said as she took her seat on the other side of the desk. Teyla took the chair beside Tallis. "What is it that you need from us?" She asked kindly, leaning forward and getting straight to business.

Tallis straightened up in her seat and folded her hands in her lap. She dropped her gaze from Elizabeth for a moment to try and scrounge up some courage. She had led her people for two years, but had not come into contact with another leader in that time, so she still felt like a small child who was asked to do an adult's work. But she did not let that fear and uncertainty show.

"Dr. Weir, my people have been destroyed by a plague. There are about thirty of us left after two years of hiding in poor conditions. There was no time for the elders of our culture to teach us how to use the Ancestral Ring, or Gate, as you call it, so we have been stranded there." Tallis began, keeping her voice even, calm and friendly, trying not to seem as though she was begging. There was a difference between talking to a military man and negotiating a plan with another leader. "There is not much we could offer you in return, I will admit that. From what I have seen, your technology far surpasses ours. My people need to be relocated to another planet to join another race." She paused, and her voice now clearly showed her sorrow. "I fear there are not enough left of us to continue on as Kellans."

Tallis paused once more, and then took a deep breath. She met Dr. Weir's eyes and smiled grimly. "Though, I can give you the knowledge I have of the surrounding planets and how to negotiate a trade with them. My planet was very prosperous in trading, and I am familiar with many of the leaders. I also have records of Kella's entire history that may be of some use to you." She offered hopefully.

Elizabeth listened quietly, and when Tallis had finished speaking, she was silent for a few moments. She had just looked over Atlantis' inventory that morning. They were hurting from a recent run-in with the Wraith. New planets to trade with and new alliances would be very beneficial to them, and knowing that the planet was uninhabited could be very good if they ever needed to escape somewhere for a time.

"Very well. I accept your offer to knowledge, and we will relocate your people." She smiled at the young woman, and then turned her attention to Teyla.

The Athosian, anticipating the other leader's question, smiled and nodded. "I am sure my people will welcome the Kellans with open arms. We would be more than happy to." Teyla smiled at Tallis.

Tallis' shoulders slumped with relief and she let out a long sigh. "Thank you, Dr. Weir. I cannot express my gratitude at such news. The last entry into the history of the Kellans will speak of your graciousness and how you have saved us." She promised. She hesitated to continue.

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked, noting the uncertainty on Tallis' face.

"Might I be frank with you, Dr. Weir, and drop the political formality for a moment?" She requested.

"Of course." Elizabeth nodded for her to go ahead.

Tallis, uncomfortable though only slightly, leaned forward slightly. "While most of my people are of an age that it is easier for them to transition, I fear I am not. Since we are now allies of sorts, I would like to… stay here." She shifted awkwardly. "I do not mean to overstay my welcome, but it would only be myself and one other. His name is Makran, and he is both my closest friend and second-in-command." She finished and waited patiently for an answer.

Elizabeth considered Tallis' request. She had accepted the Kellan leader's offer of knowledge, and she did not see any reservation in Tallis; the young woman would not hold back now that they had an agreement. It would be easier to retrieve any information if Tallis was a resident of Atlantis, and Weir was certain that the IOA wouldn't complain about the arrangement once Tallis' information had proved useful, which Elizabeth was fairly certain was what would happen. However, there was the uncertainty that Tallis would defect and sell information on Atlantis to the Wraith or the Genii. She could also have very evil plans behind the innocent façade, and could slowly pick them off.

"I will confer with Colonel Sheppard and a few others on the matter." Elizabeth decided. "The security of Atlantis is my top priority, Tallis, and while I would like to foster good relations between our two peoples by offering you our hospitality and a place here to assist us, we do not know you."

"Oh, of course. I understand completely, but thank you so much for even taking me into consideration." Tallis stood and gave a small bow. "When will the relocation take place?"

"It can be arranged for tomorrow." Elizabeth assured her, also standing. "You and your people may stay here tonight. We have more than enough room, and it will be easier to then move everyone to the mainland."

Tallis bowed once more. "Thank you, Dr. Weir." She glanced out towards the Gate. "Can I be taken back? I do not want anything bad to happen in case some of the older children take the news in a violent fashion." She bit her lip at the thought, dread settling into her stomach.

"Of course. Teyla will take you back." Elizabeth said, and then turned her attention to Teyla. "Will you return with Colonel Sheppard and the others, then? I need to speak with him."

"Yes, Elizabeth. I will see you later." Teyla led Tallis back to the Gate, where Kella was dialed, and the two women returned to Tallis' home planet.

**XXX**

Tallis wasn't quite sure what to make of her situation. Within two hours of returning to the cavern, Makran and a few others had assisted her in packing up all of their belongings, which for thirty or so children wasn't that much. Each child had a pack of personal belongings and there were a handful of weapons, but that was it. Everyone had gathered in the main cavern and most of the children were sitting, waiting for the order to walk to the Ancestral Ring and leave their planet, perhaps forever.

Tallis and Makran, however, were in one of the side tunnels, making final preparations. The entirety of their culture's history was on a few specialized computers, and the two had personally taken on the responsibility of packing them up for transportation to the Atlantis scientific labs. Makran was doing most of the work, and Tallis was sitting on the ground, her back against the tunnel wall as she watched him work. They had been friends since infancy, and he needed the work to keep his mind in order, so neither of them minded the arrangement.

"Do you think I am doing the right thing?" Tallis asked softly, a lump in her throat as she thought of leaving her home forever.

"Yes." Makran turned around, abandoning the process of packing everything up for a moment. "Of course you're doing the right thing, Tallis. We don't have a choice. We can't survive on our own anymore." He knelt down in front of her and took her hand, squeezing it. "You did the right thing, and you're a brilliant leader."

Tallis chuckled as she gave his hand an affectionate squeeze in return. "Thank you. I didn't do anything except mind children for two years, but you have my thanks." She sighed and stood up. "The Athosian woman, Teyla, seems very kind. I think we will be happy there, with her people." She decided as she picked up two of the computers that had been packed already.

"I agree." Makran smiled at her as he finished up. He found an empty weather-proof box and stacked the computers neatly inside. He relieved Tallis of her burden and snapped the box's cover into place. "I know you are worried that nothing will go well, and that you are unsure of what is ahead for us. I know those fears, for they are mine as well." He put an arm around her shoulders and drew her near.

"I feel I might have made a mistake, asking the Atlanteans for help." Tallis admitted, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I wish my father was here. He always knew exactly how to deal with any situation." She took several deep breaths to keep herself for crying. One day, she would be free to grieve, but not now, not when she still had children to lead, even if the only witness to her sorrow would be her best friend.

"I wish a lot of people were here." Makran murmured as he dropped his gaze to the floor. "But we cannot live in the past; we can only move forward." He reminded her with a small smile as she looked up at him.

"You are right, Makran." She told him, though her voice was unsteady. "Of course you are right."

He gave her a quick smirk. "At last, you see the truth."

Tallis chuckled and hit his arm playfully. "Come, we must go to the Ancestral Ring. Colonel Sheppard said he would come soon to collect us." She straightened her posture and squared her shoulders, preparing to do her final duty to her people: take them safely to their new home.

Makran hefted the box into his arms and followed behind her. It was a short walk to the main cavern. The young children were all oddly silent, their faces downcast and sorrowful. A few of the youngest had tears streaming down their faces, but no sobs could be heard. Makran immediately looked to Tallis, and saw her face was strained and her eyes troubled. He nudged her slightly with his elbow, to show he was there. She didn't turn but she relaxed somewhat.

"Everyone… it is time to go to the Ancestral Ring. We are going to sleep for one night in the home of our new friends, and then they will take us to our new home, on the mainland of their world. We will live there with the Athosians. They are a kind, good people and will take care of us. I may or may not be joining you there; I offered my knowledge to Colonel Sheppard's leader. But I will remain in contact." Tallis took a deep breath. "I'm sorry the events of our life turned so sour, but it was out of my control."

With that, she turned and led the procession out of the cavern and tunnels and outside, into the forest. The Kellans navigated through the painful brush expertly, and were soon at the Ancestral Ring. They did not have to wait more than three minutes, and a wormhole appeared and Colonel Sheppard, followed by ten similarly garbed men.

"Hello, Colonel." Tallis stepped forward and greeted him formally as three young men put down the cases that held their weapons and ammunition so a small marine squad could retrieve it later.

"Hey there." He smiled in a friendly fashion. "Just step on through, one at a time, ladies and gentlemen." He instructed.

With some encouragement from Tallis and led by Makran, the children began to trickle through. A few were frightened, having never seen the Ring work, but they were quickly assured by Makran, who proved very capable with children, that there was no danger, and there were no large problems that impeded the progress of the Kellans.

Soon, the only one that remained was Tallis. She took one more look around her planet and silently said goodbye to her home. She turned back to Colonel Sheppard and then stepped through the wormhole.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: No matter how much I want to, I do not own Stargate: Atlantis or any of the characters.**

When Tallis stepped through the Gate and arrived in Atlantis once more, her mind was only on making sure everyone was well and accounted for. Of course, in the several times she had traveled via Ancestral Ring, she had not sustained any injuries and never heard of anyone ever being hurt, but that did not diminish her worry any less. She flitted through the small crowd her people made up, checking for injuries and asking after their health. Everyone assured her they were fine, and she looked up to see Dr. Weir approaching them once more.

"Dr. Weir." Tallis greeted, stepping around a set of twins that looked up her with the threat of clinging to her legs in their eyes quickly. She bowed respectfully to the leader of Atlantis. "I thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for doing this for us." She stated, her tone emotional as she blinked back tears of gratitude.

Elizabeth regarded her seriously and nodded. "You are very welcome." She turned her attention to the children who were staring every which way in awe. "Welcome to Atlantis. Sergeant Tyler and Privates Caius and Decius will be taking you to where you will stay tonight. A meal will be brought to you in a few hours. If you need anything, you may let one of them know."

The three soldiers Dr. Weir mentioned stepped forward, and the Kellan children followed them nervously. Dr. Weir watched as the children began to leave, and as Tallis knelt down to hug a small girl and whisper a few comforting words in her ear before sending her on her way, with much less fuss than before. The girl looked back several times, but obediently went with the stream of children, aided by Private Caius, who seemed to have a talent with children.

Tallis straightened up and made to follow behind them, but Dr. Weir stopped her. She glanced over to where the children had left as the door closed behind them, and then sighed. She forced a small smile, finding comfort in the fact Makran had not left his place behind her shoulder. In this unfamiliar territory, his protective instincts were at an all-time high and he was standing very close to her. She found his body heat soothing.

"Is there anything you need, Dr. Weir?" Tallis forced herself to ask, when she wanted to melt into the warmth of her dearest friend and cry her heart out. She had just left home, how else could she react? She blinked quickly, swearing mentally to keep herself in check. She was still a leader, and she couldn't appear vulnerable in front of another people.

"Yes, actually, Tallis." Dr. Weir replied. "I have spoken to Colonel Sheppard and a few others, but we all have some questions for you, regarding your possible residence here." She explained. "It can wait, if you feel the need to get settled. We are in no particular rush."

"No, no." Tallis smiled and shook her head. "Now would be fine. Oh." She realized she had not introduced Makran to Dr. Weir. "Dr. Weir, this is Makran, the one whom I would ask to stay here with me."

Makran bowed slightly, but did not speak. Dr. Weir nodded in greeting. Tallis then continued. "Would it be permissible for him to come with me? He is the one I spoke to you about before." She tried not to betray how scared she was about talking to the leaders of this foreign people alone. She had some experience with dignitaries, but she had never been alone. She wanted to trust the Atlanteans wholeheartedly, but she had only known them part of one day. She didn't want to walk into a potential lion's den without someone to protect her.

"Of course." Dr. Weir consented, and then led them to a conference room.

Already gathered in the room were five people, four of whom Tallis knew. There was an older man she didn't recognize, Colonel Sheppard, Dr. McKay, Ronon and Teyla. She nodded politely to them all and took the empty seat next to Teyla, Makran sitting on her other side. Elizabeth took her seat at the head of the table.

"Rodney, would you be so kind as to take notes so I can relate the information to the IOA?" She asked politely.

"What, I'm the most brilliant man in two galaxies and I'm being reduced to note-taker?" McKay asked incredulously. With a piercing glare from Dr. Weir, he quieted down, but grumbled underneath his breath until Colonel Sheppard hit his arm. "Ow."

"Serves you right." The Colonel muttered.

"If we can begin?" Elizabeth asked, but it was obvious it was a statement, rather than a question. She smiled towards her two guests. "I have briefed everyone on your request to stay here in Atlantis, and, understandably, everyone has some questions. This," She gestured to the man Tallis and Makran had not met. "Is Dr. Zelenka. He is another scientist here on Atlantis. He is here on my request, as Dr. Beckett is unable to attend at the moment. He is looking over all of the Kellan children to make sure they are all in good health."

"Of course." Tallis nodded. "We have no reason to hide anything." She acknowledged Zelenka with a nod and a friendly smile.

"Alright then," Zelenka said. "I suppose I shall begin." He adjusted his glasses on his face. "What are your reasons for wishing to stay on Atlantis, Tallis?" The question from most would sound hostile and unfriendly, but from the scientist with a comforting accent, it was merely a question.

Tallis interlaced her fingers together and put them on the table, leaning forward to show she was paying attention and honored what the meeting's purpose was. She gathered her thoughts, intent on making an intelligent response and sounding like the leader she was supposed to be, the leader her father had taught her to be.

"I can serve my people better here." She stated calmly, watching Makran out of the corner of her eye. He had angled his body in such a way that appeared casual, but he could quickly turn and cover her… just in case. "There is much I can learn from you and much you might learn from me. I want to help you in your battle against the Wraith, and you need trade. Kella had a thriving trade with almost fifty planets, and I have personally met with nearly all of them. In a time of crisis, both I and Makran can fight."

McKay interjected before she could continue. Of course, he did not mean to be rude; it was simply his way. "And why should we trust you? We haven't exactly had the best luck when it comes to allies."

"What could I possibly do to harm any of you? In a show of trust, none of my people have come armed. Only in times of emergency am I armed." Tallis took a deep breath to steady herself. She didn't like how her hands were freezing and yet, they were sweating as they did when she was nervous. "I do not believe you should trust me until my information and skills prove true." She finished, looking away from McKay. He made her nervous.

"Why should we trust any of your information?" McKay continued. "How do we know if your information isn't going to lead us to the Wraith?" He regarded her suspiciously.

Tallis was taken aback by his aggressive questioning, secretly preferring Dr. Zelenka's calm question and reassuring voice. She didn't feel as though she was on trial with him. With Dr. McKay? She felt as though she was being accused of murder! "I-I…" She stuttered, cursing herself silently. "I cannot answer those questions. Perhaps, since I trusted you with the futures of thirty children I love very much and am indebted to you for it, you might trust the gift of information I am giving you."

McKay leaned slightly towards Sheppard and muttered something in his ear. He rolled his eyes openly and scooted towards Zelenka to get away from Rodney's paranoid ramblings. Sure, yes, McKay was brilliant and usually right, and Sheppard agreed with his questions. McKay just annoyed him sometimes.

Teyla, noting the moment of silence, stepped in. "Tallis," She smiled slightly, hoping to reassure the younger woman who appeared quite overwhelmed by the situation. "Do you not think it would be more of a comfort to your people if you were with them?"

Tallis hesitated at the gentle question. "If I am honest with you, my reasons here are partly selfish. I am interested by your technology, medicine and science." She admitted. "I think it would be comforting for them to see me, and it pains me to think of leaving them, but I do not feel as though I belong with them anymore."

Colonel Sheppard, who had been relatively quiet since Tallis had walked in, decided to speak up then. "You know that we're going to have to watch you carefully, if we decide to let you stay, until we're sure that you're not going to kill us all, right?" He asked casually, taking on a flippant tone.

Tallis could not help but crack a small smile at Sheppard's tone. "Yes, I understand that. My father would do the same thing, and I expect no less." She answered, relaxing slightly as she kept her gaze on Sheppard. He did not seem at all threatening or intimidating. In fact, no one in the room seemed hostile, save Dr. McKay or Ronon, but she supposed it was simply how they regarded strangers. Still, the Satedan frightened her.

Elizabeth, who had sat back and watched the conversation, leaned forward and turned her attention to the two scientists when she noticed they seemed restless. "You two are free to leave and get back to work. Thank you for your time." She gave them a small smile.

Dr. Zelenka stood up immediately, taking the hint, and regarding those in the room with a friendly gaze. He left, obviously itching to get back into his lab. McKay lingered, but followed Zelenka. He, of course, had to make sure the Czech man didn't blow anything up or mess with his precious research.

Weir continued when the scientists were out of the room, on the way to their labs to fiddle with their gadgets and do important research to save the people of Atlantis. "Tallis, thank you for being so understanding of our protocols. It is a rare thing to find someone so tolerant, especially at this time." She told the younger woman who nodded empathetically, a small, proud smile on her lips. "However, Colonel Sheppard has a few more questions, since he is responsible for Atlantis' security, as the ranking military officer. I have a few meetings to take care of." She sighed, looking up as a technician opened the door.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, Dr. Weir, but we've got a couple problems." He smiled slightly at the leader of Atlantis. "Mr. Woosley needs to speak with you."

"Alright." Dr. Weir looked at Ronon, Teyla and John. "Behave." She looked pointedly at John.

He smiled innocently in return, shrugging slightly in a cavalier manner. Elizabeth's expression softened, but she shook her head and left the room to deal with whatever problems had arisen.

Sheppard dropped his casual attitude, taking on the air of professionalism he was capable of as commanding military officer. He didn't feel like grilling the poor girl who was looking like she was already exhausted from the stress, but a few more questions were necessary.

"Look, Tallis," He addressed her. "I just have… three more things I need to know before we all decide your fate." He cracked a quick joke.

"Okay." She nodded to show she understood.

Sheppard glanced at Makran. John was a natural leader and protector, and saw some of his own qualities in the younger man. He had an arm on the back of Tallis' chair and his chest was turned towards her, as if he was speaking intimately to her. One hand was on the table in front of Tallis, and with him so near and her accepting his presence, she was much more relaxed and confident in her skills as a leader and a negotiator. His _spidey_ senses weren't tingling, and he wasn't worried about these two. As far as he and his team were concerned, the two Kellans were assets, not liabilities.

"Are you willing to follow all the rules and protocol we set out for you? You know, having an escort whenever you leave your room, allowing us to search your room and your belongings, that sort of thing." Sheppard scrutinized the young leader for her reaction. "Only if necessary about the searching thing."

Tallis drew back slightly, intimidated by his study of her features. "Of course. I want to live here and learn all of the things your people know. I have no intention of harming anyone." She sat still, clenching and unclenching her fists to try and get warmth back into her fingers.

Sheppard nodded, accepting her answer. "Do you understand that some of our information cannot be shared, and that it is not strictly a sign of mistrust?"

"I understand, Colonel." She responded calmly.

"And do you understand that, in the instance of a Wraith attack and there being no way of escape, you might be called on to fight with our military?"

Tallis nodded gravely. "Yes." Her stomach turned at the thought of facing the Wraith, the demons of every child's nightmares. She was terrified of such an idea, but she had to accept that it was a real risk she was taking to be in Atlantis, and not on the mainland.

"Then you're free to go. I'll just go talk to Dr. Weir about all of this, and we'll get back to you." John's tone had dropped the formality and he stood up. "Teyla, Ronon, could you take Tallis and Makran to the rest of their people?"

"Sure." Ronon stood up.

"Of course, Colonel." Teyla smiled as John left the room, and then led the two young adults from the conference room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: SGA is not mine. Shame, really.**

Elizabeth Weir nodded and signed the data pad a technician held out for her. One of Rodney's new scientists had broken something, and they needed to replace it, and to do so, they needed her approval. She understood that science was a delicate process and could sometimes turn out to be… shall we say, destructive. She felt bad for the poor girl who would be getting the full brunt of Rodney's scorn for the next several days. With that thought, she sat at her desk.

She opened up her laptop and checked her e-mail. When she found nothing there, she turned her mind to deciphering the newest batch of Ancient text that Major Lorne's team had discovered on a planet. There had been a civilization that had died out, and they had brought back some devices, but were unwilling to test them until Elizabeth had finished translating, just in case the tester, who would probably end up being Colonel Sheppard, was going to be subject to electrocution or the like.

However, it was a dialect of Ancient she was not familiar with, and was therefore giving her headaches. She decided against immersing herself into it and focused on daily reports and small problems that had arisen. Well, she was GOING to, when John Sheppard walked into her office.

"Hey Dr. Weir." He greeted her, the lines of exhaustion on his face deeper than before. It had only been an hour since she had last seen him, but all the excitement of the day was catching up to him. "I finished talking to Tallis."

"And?" Elizabeth asked.

John dropped into a seat across from her and met her eyes. "I see no reason not to let them stay." He suddenly despised the fact Elizabeth's walls were glass. Despite her appearing overworked and tired, he had the sudden urge to kiss her. "They understand the necessary protocol and seem eager to submit to our demands. Tallis has expressed that her reasons for staying are intellectual, and the scientists will have no qualms with having someone like that around, and I've seen them both fight."

"And I see that you have felt keenly the effects of their fighting." She nodded to his shoulder.

"Beckett told you about that, huh?" John reached up to touch his injured shoulder gingerly. Carson had thoroughly washed and rebandaged it. He had said there seemed to be no sign of infection, and it would only hurt really, really bad for a while.

"Well, yes. My military commander got shot in the shoulder? I think that's something I should know." Elizabeth teased him gently. "Are you okay?"

John nodded. "Yeah, I'm just a little ticked that I can't let Ronon and Teyla beat me up. You know how I love it when that happens. Everyday." He groaned at the very thought.

Elizabeth smiled, amused, but went back to business. "I don't see why Tallis and Makran shouldn't stay, as long as they don't cause trouble and their information is valuable." She decided. "When should we tell them?"

John smirked. "A couple hours. I want to try and make Makran sweat."

"Oooh." Elizabeth couldn't help but chuckle. "Feeling a little threatened, Colonel Sheppard?"

"No." John sneered. He paused, and then nodded, though a smile played at his lips to show he was still joking.

A tense moment settled between them, and their eyes met. Elizabeth felt her pulse pound in her ears and hoped her cheeks were flushing. She smiled at him, and then stood up. "John, get some rest. Please." She said as she pulled the door open for him.

"Yeah." John agreed, stopping in front of her. His eyebrows furrowed, almost as if he was confused about something. He seemed to consider the question in his mind, and then walked through the door.

Elizabeth let out the breath she had been holding, and for some unknown reason, she was sorely disappointed that John Sheppard had walked away. She cursed herself for a relapse in those thoughts and threw herself into translating the Ancient text. It at least kept her mind off of everything.

**XXX**

Teyla opened the door to an empty bedroom and looked in. Everything seemed in order, so she turned and smiled at Tallis. "Here is where you will be staying. Ronon took Makran down the hallway to his room. I am sure everything is in order, but if it is not, simply ask."

Tallis nodded, stepping into the room. It felt alien and strange to be standing in such a grand room. It was vastly different than her chambers in her father's house, but it still had the same air of her old rooms. She felt safe to identify this as home, even for one night. She let out a sigh and placed her pack down on the small table that was pressed up against the wall, near a small window.

"Thank you, Teyla." She replied. "I'm sure everything is fine. Admittedly, it will be wonderful to be able to bathe properly, in warm water, and not in a cold river." Tallis felt a wave of excitement bubble underneath her skin.

"I will leave you to it, then." Teyla smiled once more, and then left.

Tallis stood in the middle of the room, at a loss for what to do. A warm, steamy bath had been on her mind all day, but the only thing that seemed appropriate to do was fall to her knees and sob. She was far away from home, and she had never felt more alone. She didn't know where she would be living and the entire weight of the world seemed to rest on her shoulders. She had, at one time, thought herself prepared to lead her people, but that was when she had still been protected by her father's strong and loving power. His authority had blanketed her and she had never doubted his love for her. She hadn't been frightened too much by the thought of leadership when she knew she would have the benefit of her father's experience and wisdom.

He had been one of the last ones she saw die from the plague. He had laid on his bed weakly. Her father had never been a cripple or infirm. She would always remember him as the strong, vibrant man he had been, a god above the insignificance of her few years. She had held his hand, his once tan skin gray. His bright blue eyes had dimmed in his sickness.

Tallis had cried when she saw him so broken down. But instead of being overwhelmed with emotion, he had only drawn her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He had instructed her to remember all of her lessons and to lean heavily on Makran, for she would need a strong companion and a good friend. He then had told her he loved her, and for one lasting moment, she was the beloved daughter, and he the blessed father. Then he had ordered her to serve her country and her people, to protect them at all costs and to sacrifice for their safety. After his strong words faded, a coughing fit had come on, and she was ushered from the room. When she had looked back, she saw blood as he threw up into a nearby pail.

She had seen the effects of the plague before, but it had never occurred to her before that moment it could so adversely affect her father. Despite that, she would always remember him as the great lord he had been, wisely and skillfully watching the progress of their planet. He had brought Kella to the height of its economic power. He alone had done so.

Tallis' bottom lip began to quiver as she was conflicted, but quickly made her decision. She weakly stumbled over to the small bed and curled into a small ball on it. She then began to weep, huge, heavy sobs that ripped from her throat. Tears fell down her face and she did not try to stop them. She could only shake and tremble and wait for the storm of her emotions to calm.

A throbbing headache erupted in her skull when the tears finally stopped. Tallis, slightly disoriented, sat up and sniffed. She used the back of her hand and the hem of her shirt to wipe the tears away. Her chest felt much lighter, as though tight bandages had been wrapped there and left for too long, and they had just been untied and taken off. She took a deep breath as she sat with her legs over the side of the bed. She composed herself and then stood up.

Tallis went to her pack and began to take the contents out and spread them on the floor to organize them. She had two other everyday outfits, as well as the only ceremonial clothes she stole from her rooms before she had left the Kellan capital city. She carefully folded her ceremonial garb and placed it on the table with reverence in her movements. She turned to the other two outfits and tossed them carelessly on the bed. Along with clothes, she had brought a few favorite books, some jewelry, and a small portrait of her family. She placed the portrait on top of the fancy clothes, and took the books and jewelry with her to the bed.

She was certainly grateful she had done her laundry and done it meticulously the day before. There was no reason to have beautiful clothing, and it would do nothing to mask one in the forest, but she could at least appear clean and presentable to the citizens of Atlantis. With that thought, Tallis shed the outfit she had come in and changed into another one. They were all the same drab olive color, but it was the feeling of being transformed and somehow different that she was looking for. As for the other outfit and the one she had changed out of, she tucked them into the chest of drawers. Beside it she laid her ceremonial pieces, but kept the portrait of her family on the table.

Without anything else to do until her meal was brought to her, Tallis picked up her favorite novel and sat back down on the bed, kicking her mud-caked boots off and slipping underneath the covers. Though the story was gripping and interesting, she found herself dozing and eventually put the book down and curled up underneath the blankets and fell asleep. For the first time in two years, she slept deeply, and had no dreams.

**XXX**

Makran had tossed his clothes and belongings into the chest of drawers in the room he had been given to live in immediately. He approved; anything was better than that hard rock he had slept on for the last two years. His brain might have been malfunctioning, but he was sure he heard the delicious bedcovers and comfortable mattress calling his name. He forced himself to remain standing and walked into the attached bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, he emerged, dressed once more, a look of euphoria on his face. His legs had nearly been turned to jelly by the warm water cascading over his pale skin, and his hair was actually clean. He ran his fingers through his hair and relished in the feeling. He shuddered in pleasure.

A casual glance to the right had Makran discovering a door to a large, expansive balcony. The sea wind blew in his face, nearly forcing a lungful of salty air into his chest. He took the deep breath the gusts wanted him to and relaxed. He went to the handrail and leaned against it, staring off into the distance.

He attempted to escape his thoughts, but the more he tried to do so, the more thoughts flooded in. He was strangely numb, an emotion he was not used to. He welcomed the sharp burn of anger, the deep, bottomless feeling of depression, and the floating feeling of infatuation. Now, he was numb. He simply couldn't feel any emotion. He was indifferent to the fact he had left the only home he had ever known. He wanted to feel something, but he couldn't. He sighed, not looking forward to when all the pent-up emotions would crash on him.

He growled at his inability to feel and raked his hands through his hair. He looked to the right and to the left, looking for something to break or fight or injure. Violence was not in his nature but there was nothing else he could do. His culture, his people, his life… everything he had worked for and learned now had no purpose. His life no longer had a direction. There was something, a void in his heart that he needed to fill, that he was searching for, but he no longer had any idea of what it was, or where he could find it. He bowed his head and let out a sigh.

"Makran?" He knew the voice immediately; it was Tallis.

Makran turned around to see Tallis emerge from his room. She gave him a tentative smile, her hair out of its traditional two ponytails. To him, she seemed more luminous and more vibrant than usual. Her shoulders were not as slumped and her eyes seemed bright once more. Her hands were clasped behind her back and her smile quickly turned from hesitant to teasing when she saw he was willing to tolerate her presence.

"I see you are in better spirits than earlier, Makran." Tallis observed as she joined him at the handrail. "I was worried."

"You were allowed to leave your room?" He asked in return, quirking an eyebrow.

"We're not prisoners here." She reminded him. "I simply asked Private Decius to escort me here. I am neither armed nor do I appear dangerous to him." She let out a long sigh as the wind blew at her hair. "I think…" She paused. "I think it will be good to be here."

Makran turned his head to the left and looked down at her. He had known her long enough to know when she was burdened beyond her own strength. Her posture was slumped, and she wouldn't look him directly in the eye. She couldn't stop sighing, either. He put a hand between her shoulder blades and gently made circles. Her sighs soon became shaky.

"Tallis." She turned her head towards him slightly, but kept her gaze downwards. "I understand."

Tallis looked up sharply, tears having gathered at the bottom of her eyes. She gave him an angry shove. "That's not good enough!" She snapped. "It's not enough that you understand, or that you share the same feelings as I. It was my responsibility to lead them, to protect our people. Now, there are not enough of us to continue. I have offered up all of my information to people we do not truly know, and there is nothing I can do to help the kids!" Her voice quickly became high-pitched and shrill.

Makran stumbled back a few steps, but felt his anger rise. "Tallis, you are being selfish. Yes, it was your responsibility, but it was mine as well. I feel the same weight as you do, but you are too blind to realize that you made the best decision in the situation that was presented to you!" He took both of her hands into his, but she pulled away.

"I failed them." Tallis hissed. "I failed, and there's nothing I can do to right my wrong."

Makran raked his hands through his hair. "We are safe, Tallis. We have food. We also have people to protect us. We are warm and dry. I think we are in a better place now. There is nowhere better for us."

Tallis studied his face and then crumbled. She sank to the ground and crossed her legs, running a finger along the ground. "I know." She whispered as he sat down beside her. "I only wish things could have been different." He put an arm around her and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I spoke to your father… before he died." Makran admitted quietly. "I didn't tell you because… I don't know why."

"What did he say?" Tallis' head shot up, desperate for any memory to cling to of her father.

Makran looked down. "He first told me to protect you and our people. He reminded me that you were his precious daughter and he loved you above all things. He told me that our futures would be hard and we would have few friends. I remember the way he looked at me… I had seen him look at you like that a lot." His voice grew huskier as he fought to control his emotions.

"He thought of you as his son, Makran." Tallis stated, reaching for his hand and taking it. "He would say, often, that he wasn't sure some days if he had raised me or you." She chuckled at the bittersweet memories. "He loved you."

One side of Makran's mouth lifted in a half-smile. "And then, right before I left to help my younger brothers pack… he said that every leader needed a strong friend behind them, and that friendship could be the beginning of something more." He looked into her eyes seriously. "I have told you many times of my feelings."

Tallis nodded, uncomfortable with the intimate turn their conversation had taken. "You have. I have told you many times, in return, that my heart does not have the same strength of feelings." She held his hand between both of hers. "The feelings are there. They need time to grow, Makran. Surely you can give me that."

The young Kellan warrior looked down at their joined hands. "You know, that is a wonderful feeling." He teased her.

Tallis pulled away with a laugh and pushed herself to her feet. "You are incorrigible, Makran."

"Alas, that is the plight, I have been told, of a man in love." Makran stood up as well and placed two fingers underneath her chin. He became serious once more. "I will wait, Tallis. You are my friend, and there is no other for me."

Tallis nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate your loyalty… and your love." She wrapped her arms around him briefly, and then pulled away. "I need to rest, and I will see you tomorrow. Then, Dr. Weir and Colonel Sheppard will have decided if we shall live here. I remain hopeful." She smiled brilliantly at him, and then made to step back inside his room and leave.

"Remember what I said, Tallis." Makran murmured. "You made the best decision. You are a brilliant leader, and there is no other I would follow."

"Thank you." She smiled once more at him, and then left.

Makran sighed as he watched the waves crash against the city. Their relationship was a simple one. They were the closest of friends, and his fondness for her had developed into love. He did love her. He had always thought she was pleasant to look at, but he had no blazing infatuation for her. It was a simple loyalty to her, and the knowledge that he needed her. He had made a commitment to her, and he would stand at her side forever. Their lives had not been easy, and that had only strengthened his resolve to be with her. He could not sway her heart to feel the same way his did, and he would not try to. He could hope fiercely that she would come to the same place he was, but if she didn't… it would be acceptable to him.

He stayed there for many hours, thinking of his previous life and the unknown that was before his feet. He pondered who he was, and what would happen to his brothers if he left them on the mainland alone. Makran ended up walking back into his room when the temperature dropped too far, and he tossed and turned for hours on his bed. He managed to fall asleep into nightmarish dreams.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own SGA.**

John Sheppard, balancing his tray of food and his laptop, settled into a chair at an empty table, intent on finishing his mission reports. He wasn't lazy when it came to work and his job, but sometimes his team was too focused on not dying that he got behind. He kept his head down as he stared at the screen, his fingers flying across the keyboard, alternating between recalling the events of his latest missions and taking a deep draught of his coffee.

"Hello Colonel. Working hard, or hardly working?"

John looked up, nearly knocking his coffee over. He leaned back and a charming smile spread across his face as he regarded the leader of Atlantis standing in front of him. "Working hard."

Elizabeth met his eyes, and slowly sat down. She gave him a flirty smile. "Well, that's new. What's the occasion?" She dug into the leafy, green salad that was next to the portion of meatloaf that Sheppard knew she loved.

"I don't know," He shrugged. "I just thought I'd make your job a bit easier, you know?" He returned her flirty smile (oh, he knew it was flirty, and he liked it) and gave her a subtle wink. He momentarily looked back at the laptop and finished the sentence he was halfway through, and then closed the computer. He gave her a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

"Yes?" Elizabeth sighed, poking at her meatloaf. "No." She admitted quietly, her eyes moving side to side quickly, worried that someone might have overheard her. "The Daedalus was damaged again, and Major Lorne's team was ambushed by the Wraith, and one of his soldiers was killed." She put down her fork and took a sip of her coffee. She looked up into his eyes, seeing her burden mirrored in him.

"Yeah." He murmured, slowly reaching out to touch the back of her hand for a brief moment. He retracted his hand, knowing how she wanted to seem strong in front of her expedition. He respected that, but he could give her comfort in some form. "The Wraith seem to be getting stronger every day."

"Yes, they do." Elizabeth's skin tingled where he had touched her. "What about you? Are you okay?"

John could only shake his head wordlessly. He looked away, to the floor, at Rodney and Zelenka arguing several tables down, at his food, anywhere but at her. As he had once told Teyla, he wasn't good at the feeling thing, but he felt the strange need to push through his awkwardness to reach out to Elizabeth. She was the only one who was really alone. She was the leader, and there would always be something of a barrier between her and everyone else.

"I'll be fine." He settled on. "Just a little anxious. It seems like…" He shrugged, unsure of how to explain. "Like this is just an example of what they can do, but not everything they will do."

Elizabeth nodded, finally digging into her food. The two leaders of Atlantis lapsed into a comfortable silence, and John finished up his reports. They ate quietly, for once able to enjoy a meal without someone needing something. Every so often, their eyes would stray and their gazes would lock. He would look away sheepishly, and she would linger for a second before blushing and finding something incredibly interesting to stare at in her coffee cup.

She broke the silence as she was about to stand. "Have you spoken to Tallis and Makran yet?"

"No, but I can go right now, if you want. Unless you want me to yourself for a little longer." John teased her, grinning cheekily.

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" She smirked as he had the grace to look wounded.

"That hurts, Elizabeth. Right here." He laid a hand on his chest as they both stood up. "I'll take that." He offered, nodding at her tray.

"Oh." She looked down at her tray, almost confused. "Thank you." She smiled at him as she handed it to him.

"Yeah." He grinned at her as she walked away, going back to the control room to oversee the scheduled return of a team.

John then used a transporter to get to the residential hallway where Tallis and Makran were staying. It gave him a weird rush to think that he was, for once, delivering good news. He wasn't going to tell a team leader that their man had died in surgery, or searching for Elizabeth to report the capture and death of a scientist. He was going to tell two kids that they could stay in Atlantis and be apart of something big. It lightened his mood, and he was in a very good mood already. He usually was, after eating lunch, and after seeing Elizabeth. He was at an all time high after eating lunch with Elizabeth.

He knocked politely on Tallis' door and took a step back. She opened the door a moment later and smiled in greeting.

"Hello Colonel." She nodded slightly to him. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

He shook his head. "Nah." He shrugged, his tone turning lighthearted. "I just thought I'd let you know Dr. Weir and I have decided that you will be staying in Atlantis. You will have some responsibilities, but yeah." He slid his hands into his pockets as there was a moment of silence that hung in the air.

Tallis' eyes were quickly filled with what only could be described as girlish glee. She was nearly hopping from foot to foot. "I sincerely thank you, Colonel. I cannot express…" She gave him an apologetic grin. "You'll have to excuse me." With those few words, she ducked around him and ran down the hallway to give the good news to her friend.

He raised his eyebrows, not remembering the last time he'd seen someone so excited since Rodney found a new toy to tinker with. He turned on his heel and headed towards Elizabeth's office. McKay had told him he wanted to pitch an idea to Elizabeth sometime soon after lunch, and he, admittedly, was actually interested. He'd been listening, after all. Truly, he had.

**XXX**

There were a few things Makran did expect upon waking from a nap, and an excited, squealing best friend who immediately threw her arms around him the moment the door opened was not one of them. He awkwardly patted her on the back, waiting for some sort of explanation. He got it.

"And I completely did not expect it, but we're going to stay, Makran! Stay! _Here_. In the city of the Ancestors." Tallis' voice had reached a higher-than-natural register and her eyes seemed to glitter. Her cheeks ached from smiling and she honestly made an effort to try and not to dance. She failed, and twirled victoriously around the room.

Makran couldn't help but smile in return, though he was more relieved than excited. His mind immediately went to the fact they would need to explain to the others why they were staying, and the others would live on the mainland with another people. He considered reminding her, but the way she almost shook with delight at the thought of learning from the technologically advanced Atlanteans had him reconsidering and he settled for grinning.

Tallis took a deep breath, and her smile faded slightly, just enough to not strain her cheeks. Then, her smile disappeared completely as she seemed to read his mind and remembered her responsibilities. Her shoulders slumped and she sat down on an empty chair near the small table against the wall. She leaned forward and laid her forehead against the cool metal.

"I do not expect they shall be pleased." She muttered.

Makran nodded, though she couldn't see him, thinking of some of their more violent peers. "No, I don't think so." He sat down across from her, flicking her head absentmindedly. "They'll be okay. Tallis… we are no longer defenseless. We won't sit about idle, hoping the Wraith will pass over us. We have a chance to survive. Not only survive – we can actually **thrive** here." He gave her a chiding look. "You were not made for base survival."

Tallis adjusted her posture so she was leaning on her chin. She met his eyes timidly. "Really?" She asked in an impossibly small voice for someone who had nearly been flying mere minutes before.

She would remain a mystery to him, Makran decided. That a woman so strong and admirable (not to mention beautiful) could be so unaware of her own skills and abilities was unthinkable to him, but that was Tallis. He lowered his head so he could meet her eyes evenly and he smiled, nudging her foot underneath the table.

"Yes, really." He murmured. "You were an amazing leader, Tallis. I admire you."

A slow smile grew on her face and she nudged his foot back. "Thank you, Makran." She looked around the room, refilled with the same excitement as she stood up. "We're going to live here!" She exclaimed. "And I will no longer have to make decisions that will affect many. I can be selfish." She smiled guiltily.

Makran raised himself from his chair and he took her hand. "Don't look at me like that. You are certainly allowed to be selfish." He tugged on her arm. "Shall we go exploring?"

Tallis nodded, following him as he pulled her out of the door. "Of course!" She looked up at him. "Thank you. I'm sorry for being so…" She nudged his side with her hip. "You are my best friend." She reminded him, and returned the brilliant smile he gave her as they went into the hallway and began to discover their new home. They knew they would have to speak to the other Kellans sometime, but at the moment, they were two friends.

**XXX**

"What are you saying, Tallis?" One of the eldest Kellans sneered, standing in front of the others, who were sitting, fearful of the young man's outburst. "That you're too selfish to come to the mainland with us? That you would rather be here, in safety and security, than suffer with your people?"

Tallis forced herself to stand up straighter and refused to show any fear. She had gone with Makran to where the other Kellans were residing for the night to explain what would happen. Peryn, a nineteen-year-old who had lost his entire family to the plague, had always been the most combative and confrontational. He had not wasted a moment to begin attacking her character and her decision to stay in Atlantis. Tallis would not show how hurt she was by his comments, though all she wanted to do was allow Makran to step around her and pound the older boy into the floor.

A rush of anger flared in her chest, but she took a sharp breath to control herself. "No, that is not what I am saying. I am not abandoning you, and I am not thinking of myself first. I can serve you better here. I am aiding in the safety of Atlantis, and therefore, your safety." She took a slow step forward and placed a hand on Peryn's shoulder. "Think of me as a hostage. I stay here, and it shows our goodwill. We will be relying on the Athosians, who rely on the Atlanteans, so we must be on our best behavior."

Peryn laughed, shoving her hand away. "Do not feed me this garbage, Tallis. You are frightened of responsibility, and of leadership, so instead of further leading us, you hide here and take advantage of their hospitality."

Makran could not hold his anger in and stepped in between Tallis and Peryn, nearly rubbing noses with the other young man. He glared and grabbed the front of Peryn's tunic. "You accuse her of fearing responsibility. What, in all of our time since our parents and families died, have you done to help the rest of us?" He asked, his voice a dangerous hiss. "The answer, Peryn, is nothing. Now go to bed. You'll be leaving tomorrow." He directed his last two sentences to the entire group, and the majority of them did so obediently. A few lingered. Peryn pulled away from Makran and stormed out.

Two young boys walked up to Makran, grinning. "That was beyond impressive!" The elder one praised.

Makran smiled, amused. "Well, thanks. You are supposed to be in bed." He reproved them.

Tallis looked relieved at the change of atmosphere in the room, and joined Makran at his side. She smiled at the boys and nodded, agreeing with her friend. "Yes. You should listen to your older brother." She turned to face Makran. "I will see you tomorrow morning to see them off. I have need to speak with a few, and if I do not see you after, good night."

Makran wrapped her into a warm hug, which she returned eagerly, and then left, glancing back as the door closed. The three boys of varying ages regarded each other.

"So you're really not coming with us?" The younger asked.

Makran nodded. "Yes. I made a promise to her father. I need to protect her, even here."

The older boy seemed skeptical. "You're not just here for that, though, are you?"

"No, I am here for Tallis." He grinned awkwardly. He didn't like talking about his love to his younger brothers. That was just strange. "You know very well how I feel about her, but don't… just don't." Makran sighed, kneeling down to hug his brothers. "I want to be there with you, and I'm sorry, I just…"

"Are you going to marry her?" The youngest asked, his face buried in his brother's shoulder. "Because I like her, and she's pretty."

Makran nearly froze at such a question, and paused before answering. He had not asked her, and would not do so. He knew how she felt about him, and that was enough for him. Marriage… he was still so very young, and though it was not as if there were several others on his mind, he felt a pressing need to wait. He shook his head.

"No, I'm not." He answered, pulling out of the hug to look his brothers in the eye. "Are you two going to be okay without me?"

The elder brother nodded. "Yes. We'll miss you, though. But you need to be here, with Tallis, so you can protect her and hopefully, marry her." He smirked devilishly.

"You little scamp." Makran pinched him gently, and then gave them a gentle shove. "Off to bed with you. I'll see you in the morning." He looked into their eyes seriously. "I love you both."

"Love you too!" The two boys filed out of the room and went into the next one, which they shared.

Makran left the general meeting room a few long minutes later, having needed the time to himself. So much was changing, and it hurt him to think of leaving his little brothers alone, miles away where they might be injured. He wanted to trust the Athosians and the Atlanteans as Tallis did, but he simply could not. It was not that they had done or implied that they were in anyway untrustworthy, but he needed time and proof.

He was almost to his room when Dr. Beckett hailed him from further down the corridor. The doctor in his white lab coat greeted him with a warm smile. "I hope you don't mind, Makran, but I need to give you a wee bit of an examination, just to make sure you're in perfect health."

Makran nodded. "Of course, doctor." He followed the man with the strange accent to the infirmary.

Dr. Beckett went about his infirmary, obviously the lord of his domain, but a genteel and gracious one at that. He kept up friendly small talk, though Makran found himself oddly speechless and guarded as a cuff squeezed his arm and the doctor took a vial of his blood to be tested for any diseases. Makran laid down as a scanner mapped out his organs and tissues, and then sat up when he was allowed to.

"You have very… strange methods of observing one's health, Dr. Beckett." Makran stated hesitantly, feeling like a boy as the doctor looked up from the chart he held in his hands.

"Aye," He agreed with a smile. "A lot of this technology is still strange to me, but it is definitely a breeze to use." He placed the chart down, turning back to the Kellan boy. "You are free to go, son. Welcome to Atlantis."

Makran stood up, and then considered Dr. Beckett for a long moment. He offered what smile he could, for his thoughts were still on his brothers and his people, who he was leaving, and bowed his head respectfully.

"Doctor, my culture once was one that honored respect and friendship, and though I am far from home, I hope that in some ways, I can stay true to the traditions of my people." Makran, head still bowed, took a shaky breath. He was nervous, and still very scared of these people, but there was something about Dr. Beckett that was soothing. "A way I believe I can do this is by offering you my friendship, though I am young, for in the few minutes I have known you, you have gained my respect and trust." He looked up, the formal offering of friendship over.

Dr. Beckett placed a gentle, warm hand on Makran's shoulder and met the young man's gaze. A smile formed on the Scotsman's face, and he nodded, genuinely delighted by such a proposition.

"Aye, lad, I would like that." He replied, clapping Makran on the shoulder. "Now, off with you, I'm sure you're exhausted."

Makran left the infirmary. His fears eased for the night, he returned to his rooms and sat out on the balcony for a while, simply staring up at the stars, and speaking softly to the air, hoping that somewhere, the friends he had lost and the parents he never knew could hear him and lend him strength for whatever road he had now stepped upon.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Stargate: Atlantis is not mine. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Tallis had been fighting tears all day. She had spent several hours alone in her room, saying her ritual prayers and attempting to meditate, as her mother had once taught her. She refused to cry, for she feared that if she allowed the first tear to fall, the tears would not stop raining down. She hadn't seen Makran all day; he had explained to her in a very short voice that he had asked to assist Dr. McKay in whatever way he could. Tallis had tried everything she could keep herself together, but she had never thought giving up control of her people and sending them away would take such a toll on her.

When she accepted the fact there was nothing left in her room to occupy her, she stepped outside of her room and half-heartedly smiled at the soldier posted outside of her room. "I mean to wander about aimlessly… is that permitted?" She asked wearily, feeling the weight of her burden acutely as it affected her physical being. Her shoulders were aching and her head was pounding. She sighed.

"Yes, ma'am." The soldier answered, adjusting his firearm in a non-threatening way and preparing to follow after her, several strides behind to give her the necessary privacy.

Tallis nodded and set off, her bare feet padding gently against the floor. Today, in honor of her ancestors and her people, she had donned her ceremonial clothing. Her skirt was red and below mid-thigh, it fell in long, gauzy strips that swirled around her feet. Thin metal bracelets clanged and jingled on her ankles. Above the skirt was her ritualistic tunic. It clung tightly to her body, dipping only slightly to give a hint of cleavage, symbolic of her new womanhood. The tunic had no sleeves, but there were decorative sashes that could be wrapped around her arms, but she allowed them to fall down her back. This was clothing she would have been gifted with on her seventeenth birthday; she was a new woman, and therefore, she deserved an outfit that proved that to the world.

Her mind, however, was far away from Atlantis. She had failed as a leader and as a woman. She was one of the oldest Kellans left in the galaxy, and her father had placed the responsibility on her shoulders, believing her worthy of the burden. She had failed her father. The very thought as it passed through her head made her want to cringe, run back to her room and hide away from the world for a while. She didn't follow through with her impulses, simply for pride's sake.

Her thoughts were cut off quickly as she passed by the infirmary and Dr. Beckett's voice called out to her. She looked up, shocked when she seemed to realize that there were other people still in the world.

"Tallis, I meant to speak to you earlier, but…" Dr. Beckett looked over his shoulder where a young soldier sheepishly accepted the help of a nurse, putting an arm around her thin shoulders as she helped him stand up. He turned back to her and smiled. "Would it be much of a problem if I gave you an examination?"

Tallis weakly shook her shoulders. "It would not be a problem."

He smiled brightly, his calm and friendly attitude soothing her immediately. Carson looked up at her escort. "I think I'll be alright, lad, thank you." He shooed the private out of his infirmary and turned back to his patient.

There was something in the way he put his hand warmly on her shoulder and led her into the infirmary, and in how he set about examining her from head to toe, continually making conversation with her, that comforted her immensely. Tallis participated in their conversation enthusiastically, no longer feeling as though the world would end because of her failure.

"How did you meet that lad, Makran?" He asked as he took a sample of blood.

Tallis frowned as she thought of her friend, wondering if he was well. "We have been friends since childhood, and we became very close, very quickly. My father would jokingly remark that some days, it seemed he had a son also." She recalled fondly. "He is my closest friend. Are there many people here worthy of trust, Dr. Beckett?" She wondered aloud.

He stopped, and his face softened at her question. "Aye, lass," A trace of a smile quirked at his lips. "There are many of those here."

Tallis nodded, and they lapsed into a short silence, but then Dr. Beckett began to examine her and had her lie down for several scans. Then, the conversation became lively, as the questions would not stop flying from her tongue. She asked what the purpose of his prods and pokes were, and what exactly the machine she was lying under did. Dr. Beckett was more than delighted to supply her with answers.

The Scot peered at the computer screen, and then looked up at his patient, "I do believe we are finished, lass. You are very healthy, and I hope you continue to stay that way. It would be a shame if you ended up like Colonel Sheppard." He commented teasingly.

Tallis laughed. "Why would you say that?" She queried.

"Because I seem to have become the good doctor's most frequent patient." Colonel Sheppard answered as he entered the infirmary, heading towards the public medicine cabinet and snagged a bottle of headache pills. "Through no fault of my own, I might add."

Dr. Beckett busied himself with taking down notes on Tallis' health chart. "Oh, of course not, Colonel. I would never think of accusing you of being the cause of the trouble that revolves around you." He dryly replied.

Tallis smiled, amused by the situation. "Thank you, Dr. Beckett. Am I free to go?"

"Aye." He gave her a beaming smile and sent her on her way. Dr. Beckett, then, immediately turned his sights on John, who was beginning to resemble a deer in the headlights. "I've heard some gossip, Colonel." He commented evenly, his blue eyes dancing with the mirth his voice didn't betray.

John rolled his eyes and hopped up onto the examining table. "Don't you start. I didn't break Rodney's Ancient toy." He insisted.

Carson smirked. "That's not what I was talking about."

The colonel looked up, mentally running through the events of the last few days. There was nothing that stuck out at him as gossip-worthy. After the first two weeks, people had stopped talking about him getting his butt kicked by Teyla or Ronon. There had been a few incidents with Rodney, but most people rolled their eyes at their antics.

"What could it possibly be?" He asked, slightly exasperated. All he came down to the infirmary for was a stupid medical check-up; he hadn't been expecting the Scottish Inquisition.

Heh. Scottish Inquisition. He needed to remember that one.

"I hear you had a date with Elizabeth." Carson stated as he began to take John's vitals. "Lunch and everything."

He raised an eyebrow. "She came and sat down with me when I was eating lunch. We all do that to each other." He shrugged. Carson couldn't possibly have detected his feelings for Elizabeth? It wasn't like he had obsessively called their lunch a date, though the thought was a very nice one. As for his feelings, they were better left unknown. Though Elizabeth wasn't part of the military, the situation was delicate and tenuous, at best.

Carson raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "You can't expect me to believe that, son." He noted a few things absently on John's chart.

"Whatever." John didn't let the conversation continue, and after the quick examination to make sure he was still in tip-top shape, he left to schedule the next week's reconnaissance teams.

**XXX**

There were a few days out of every week that just left John Sheppard completely exhausted, mind, body and soul. The tiredness weighed at his legs and arms until he simply wanted to collapse. He was often plagued by severe headaches on those days, caused by the stress of his position. Today was one of those days.

It was as if tiny little people had taken up residence in his skull and, upon realizing their predicament, had set about pounding on the inside of his cranium with their tiny mallets and all of their strength. The last few minutes of his last meeting with Elizabeth and a few of the scientists had been unbearable; it literally felt as though his head was moments away from exploding.

And when Colonel Sheppard suffered through one of 'those' days, there was only one thing he could do to find some measure of peace, some reprieve in his dangerous, painful life. He ignored any and all paperwork and escaped to a spacious balcony, away from everyone else on Atlantis. He would have ditched his radio, too, but he just had the sort of luck that would mean the world would be in danger when he couldn't be reached.

His chosen balcony was one that stretched over the water, close enough for light sea spray to hit the faces of anyone standing at the handrail. He had discovered it on one of his many runs with Ronon and filed the location away in his brain for future purposes. The next day, twelve people underneath his command had died on a planet they had all thought was safe. He had nearly sprinted to the balcony to get away from all of the death and blood. It didn't make him forget everything that had happened, but it was nice to get away from everything.

'Everything' was the reason he was standing out on the balcony. There had been no Wraith attacks lately, and all of the teams seemed to be fine. The mission reports were coming in at a steady pace, but they were easy to read. There had been no deaths in the last two weeks, and considering they were in another galaxy with life-sucking aliens bent on destroying them, that was something to be celebrated.

However, John couldn't find it within himself to celebrate. He was tired of being in another galaxy. He was tired of having to be a hero. It was no secret that he loved his job and he loved serving his country, but there were times (and now was one of them) where he wished he could run away and hide in some dark corner. Being the commanding officer didn't help. He was supposed to be strong. He had to show a strong image for his men, so they could find courage in themselves. He had to show survival was possible so his men would make it happen.

It could take a toll on a man, though. His days ran together in mindless monotony, even when they were close to death. It all seemed to be a blur for him. When they were safe, he was wondering when the next threat to their lives would come. When they were being threatened, it seemed never-ending. He could never catch a break. That was the trick about being in Atlantis. There wasn't a difference between work and a personal life. His life was work.

That didn't mean he was ungrateful. He was in the city of the Ancients, surrounded by a wealth of knowledge and tools that he would never be able to fully understand in his lifetime. Hell, even Rodney wouldn't be able to understand it all in his lifetime! As he could easily say, he loved his job. But still… sometimes…

John leaned against the handrail and closed his eyes, feeling the sea spray caress his face. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He continued that simple process, and focused on it alone. He wasn't someone big on meditation or prayer or anything, but he found if he stopped to simply breathe, his burdens were easier to bear. Strangely enough, he found himself out on the balcony, breathing a lot. It didn't help as much as it used to. Maybe he should talk to Heightmeyer.

Let it never be said that John Sheppard despised Kate Heightmeyer or anyone else in her profession. He admired her for her work because he had seen for himself what her work could do to help his men. He was constantly sending his younger men to her, and they were coming out of the experience better for it. Did that make him a hypocrite, to know what she could do and yet allow himself to suffer?

Yes, it did, but he preferred the term 'masochist'.

If he was really honest with himself, he knew it was his pride that prevented him from ever stepping into Kate's office and sitting down with her. He was the commanding military officer of Atlantis! He had a contingency of soldiers who depended on him for leadership and direction. But underneath all of that… he was scared of all of the demons he had acquired over the years in Atlantis. He was absolutely terrified what would happen to him if he allowed them all to come out of the tightly sealed compartments he had shoved them into. He was frightened of losing control, and that was all it was. He would rather keep his pride and allow numbness to overtake him than let himself be vulnerable and open to pain. It was all rather simple, actually.

"Hey, Colonel." Elizabeth's voice greeted him as she joined him at the railing. "I was looking for you."

"What do you need?" He asked, not tearing his eyes away from the ocean.

She looked up at his face. "Are you okay, John?"

When she used his first name, he knew he was in trouble. Whenever she asked… he had to tell her. He couldn't very well deny her anything. His features hardened as he attempted to keep all of his problems in his heart. He sneaked a glance at her face and was humbled by the concern he saw in her eyes. She had sought him out to make sure he was okay. Not Colonel Sheppard, her second-in-command, her military commander. She had looked for him to make sure John was okay. He offered her the smallest of smiles.

"No." He replied honestly. "It's just been a difficult couple of years." He shrugged, looking back across the waves.

"That it has been." She agreed, somewhat wryly. "You want to talk about it?"

John looked down at her and met her green eyes. She was a beautiful woman, and he loved her eyes. When he looked into them, his stomach would roll, but a measure of comfort wrapped around him. She was strong, and that somehow gave him the ability to be strong as well. He shrugged helplessly.

"I'm not good at…" He began uncertainly.

Elizabeth stopped him. "I know. You don't have to be, John. But you have to try. I worry about you sometimes." She reached over and placed a hand on his forearm.

John looked down at her hand, and then back up at her face. He took a deep breath and shifted awkwardly. "It kind of haunts me sometimes. Well, not… not sometimes. Every…" He took another deep breath and let it out. "Every night." He confessed. "Sumner… Kolya… the Hoffans… I could have done something better." He ground out, absolutely ashamed of himself, that he was actually admitting these things. The shame was too much for him, and he fell silent.

To his surprise, Elizabeth didn't say anything in return and the two leaders of Atlantis stared out over the ocean quietly. After a moment, she timidly stepped closer to him, and their sides were brushing. John glanced at her, startled, but his surprise faded into raging emotions for the woman beside him. She met his eyes nervously as she shivered, awkward about her own move as well, but unwilling to take it back.

Almost mechanically, John shrugged his jacket off and draped it over her shoulders. He kept her gaze meaningfully as he moved even closer to her, close enough to smell her shampoo over the sea. She had turned her body to completely face him, and if he stepped an inch closer, he would be flush against her.

They were treading on dangerous ground, now. They were standing at a threshold, if one feels one must be philosophical. John knew exactly how Elizabeth felt about dating someone under her command. He felt the same way, but he also had another feeling. It was one that had been nagging at his heart for so long. Even though the world threatened to break him every morning when he dragged himself out of bed, the sight of her gave his lungs breath and encouraged his heart to continue beating. He wasn't ashamed of these feelings. Not one bit. Terrified of them, yes, overwhelmed, you betcha. But not ashamed of them. Not now, when she was standing in front of him and looking so vulnerable and small as she peeked up to meet his eyes.

When John looked into her eyes, really looked, he knew Elizabeth wasn't like any other woman who had meant something to him. He was far from the Captain Kirk that Rodney accused him of being. Any woman he met that he pursued romantically truly caught his interest beyond his lust. He was in his thirties; he knew there were things more important than sex, and he desperately wanted those things. But Elizabeth… God, at the oddest moments, he would be wondering what their kids would look like, or how they would decorate their house. And the strangest thing was that he didn't mind those thoughts. He welcomed them. Elizabeth made him want to be married, and more specifically, married to her. No other woman had done that to him.

And now, standing in front of her, he had a decision to make. Elizabeth would make hers, but he had to make his. Was he willing to undergo the emotional risks of being in a relationship when they could all die any day? Did he want to risk dating a coworker? Did he believe their relationship could last for the rest of their lives?

The answer was yes.

Maybe it was his emotional distress and all of the pain he had endured. Maybe he was just so lonely he needed an impulsive moment and take advantage of the vulnerability in Elizabeth's eyes. Or maybe it was the fact he knew he loved her that drove him to lean forward.

His hands warily went up to cup her jaw tenderly. He watched her face for a negative reaction. One never came. He drew her close and wrapped one arm around her waist. His other hand remained on her face. The process was painfully slow, but he had to make sure that she saw something in him as well, that there was a real chance.

"John…" She trailed off, suddenly appearing scared as his intent fully dawned on her.

"What?" He asked casually, not moving. He rather enjoyed having her so close. It made the stress melt away, and he actually felt a spark of hope for his life and for the expedition.

"I…" Her voice faltered.

John knew what she wanted to say. It wasn't right, they would never work out, and it could endanger them both. If any of their enemies found out about their relationship, he would be in more danger or she would be in more danger. The IOA wouldn't approve, and it could undermine their leadership. He wasn't wiling to even consider the thought she didn't feel the same way, because he knew she did. They had taken so many risks to save each other; there wasn't a chance in hell that she didn't have feelings for him too.

Those bitter thoughts faded, and he almost shoved her away. Instead, he slowly stepped back, staring at the floor contritely. He was so easily affected by emotions, and he had a lot of those for Elizabeth. Had he taken it too far? Did she only see him as a friend? Oh God, he had just humiliated himself, hadn't he? He was too arrogant, thinking every woman fell for him…

"Sorry." He muttered. "I just…" He trailed off.

"What?" She asked, her voice soft and tender. It chilled him.

John looked up at her apologetically, and decided to play it off casually. "I kinda like you, Elizabeth. I wanted to kiss you. Sorry." He gave her a half-smile, and looked away.

They lapsed into silence, and he was inwardly kicking himself. Oh, was work going to be awkward for a long, long time or what?

Elizabeth suddenly laid her head on his shoulder, and he instinctively wrapped one arm around her shoulders. It was awkward, at least to him. He had terrible social skills, and he sucked at relationships. Flirting, he could do that. He was good at that, but anything deeper scared the bejeesus out of him. He didn't know what to do, but there were a lot of things he wanted to do. Kissing her sounded really good, but if this was all she could commit to at the moment, then he'd wait. He was pretty sure that whenever he did get that kiss (because he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't) it would blow his mind and would definitely be worth the wait. She'd be worth the wait.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I can't. Not right now. That doesn't mean I don't want it to happen, John. Believe me. I'm just a little too scared."

"Okay." He laid his head on hers. "But when, or if, you need me…"

She wrapped her arm around his back. "I know."

They stayed that way for several minutes. It was just them and the sea, and for a moment, they were millions of light-years away from Atlantis and any sort of danger.

"Dr. Weir, there's been a small problem… We need you in the control room."

And once again, they were back in Atlantis, accompanied by all of their responsibilities and duties, and once again, John Sheppard lost hope and his heart might have broken a little more when Elizabeth walked away to do her job.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: SGA is not mine.**

The next two weeks passed peacefully. Major Lorne's team had run into the Wraith, but they had all managed to escape through the Gate with minor injuries. Sheppard had divided his time between the infirmary with his men and his office, where he was keeping up with paperwork nicely. Dr. McKay had discovered Makran, of all people, had an aptitude for science and had quickly wrangled him into becoming an aide for the science team. To McKay, the only thing better than finding someone with an interest in his work was finding someone with an interest in his work who also had a strong Ancient gene. Pity, really. So, it was with the scientists that Makran had found a niche.

Tallis, however, had been recruited by a few of the nurses to help out in the infirmary. She sincerely loved medicine, and it seemed she and most of the younger nurses had become quick friends. Dr. Beckett had been more than happy to have another hand helping out, and had given her the quickest crash course in field medicine and Ancient scanners he had ever given. With the little experience she had, she merely did the smallest tasks, but with the amount of patients the Atlantis infirmary had, any help was greatly appreciated.

So, it seemed everyone was settling into Atlantis and everyone seemed pretty happy.

No one was happier than John Sheppard when he finally recovered from his latest set of injuries (or injury… you know, the bullet wound) and was back on active duty. In his defense, it was little more than a glorified scratch, but he had pushed himself a little too hard, and it had set him back a few days, but now he was finally free.

He grinned at his team and Elizabeth as he sat down in the conference room, a little late due to his last check-up with Carson to make sure he was really ready. "Hey everyone." He leaned back, nearly glowing with excitement. "To business, then. Where are we off to?"

Elizabeth smiled slightly, trying to contain her flirty tendencies when it came to John Sheppard, and focused on her role as leader. "To Kella. Tallis and Makran have mentioned some Ancient buildings and possibly technology, and I want you to check it out. Take them both; they will know the terrain."

"You sure they can be trusted?" He asked, but there was a glint in his eyes that wasn't necessarily business-like by the way it made her stomach flip.

Elizabeth nodded, ignoring his charms as best she could. "Yes, I am. I have heard nothing but good reports about the both of them." She gave him a smirk. "And I do hope, by now, that you could deal with two kids if they happened to get volatile?"

"Please, Elizabeth. It's Sheppard." Rodney butted in.

"And you're so sure you could handle them?" Ronon asked, his dark eyes glittering with amusement.

Rodney appeared miffed. "That's not the point."

Elizabeth saved Rodney's dignity by quickly pulling everyone's focus back to the task at hand. "I want a simple reconnaissance mission. If there are hostiles, you are not to engage them unless they engage you first. See if there is anything useful, get what you can, and return. I want you back within five hours, Colonel."

John stood up, knowing that was his cue to leave, along with his team. "You got it, Dr. Weir." His team followed suit. When they were out of the conference room, he turned to the other three. "Gate room in five, guys."

Ronon and Rodney both walked off, each going to pack up their own things and retrieve their weapons. Teyla lingered behind, and looked up at his face, concerned. "Is there anything wrong, Colonel Sheppard?"

John raised an eyebrow. "No, not really." He gave her an exasperated smile at her expression that revealed she did not believe him. "I'll be fine, Teyla."

She seemed to accept his answer, and left him by himself. Dr. Weir soon emerged from the conference room as well, surprised to see he was still there. She touched his shoulder as she passed him, but did not comment. He smiled to himself, watching her walk away. John quickly snapped out of his trance and went to gather his two guests.

Minutes later, dressed in his uniform, vest and with his P-90 in hand, he approached the infirmary. "Hey doc, mind if I borrow Tallis?"

The named looked up from where she was assisting a patient drink some water, but did not comment, and Dr. Beckett glanced from his microscope and his research. He smiled in greeting.

"I don't mind, Colonel. Bring her back safe and sound, you hear?" He exhorted Sheppard, a fond twinkle in his blue eyes as he pulled the latex gloves from his hand. His stomach growled, and he shrugged the white lab coat from his shoulders as well. It was lunchtime for the hard-working Scot.

Tallis gently squeezed the patient's shoulder, and then walked over to Colonel Sheppard. "What do you require?" She asked, a pleasant expression on her face. She bent slightly at the waist to show her respect, a common movement from both Kellans.

"I need you and Makran to come with me and my team. We're going back to Kella to see if there's anything we can salvage from your cities." He paused for a short moment. "If that does not seem to be… disrespectful of your people, of course."

Tallis' smile was strained, but grateful. "Thank you for taking my feelings into consideration. I see no reason not to; we are all fighting the Wraith here."

"Sheppard!" Rodney's voice snapped over his radio.

John pressed his earpiece. "Yes, Rodney?" He asked patronizingly.

"Makran's good with coming with us to Kella, but I noticed something on the scanners. Just in case, I sent a MALP through the Gate, and some of the telemetry is disturbing, to say the least." Rodney explained, speaking while he was chewing a power bar.

He glanced at Tallis, slightly perturbed. "What do you mean, disturbing? Bad disturbing, or deadly disturbing?"

Tallis remained silent, but her heart was in fear's vice-like grip. What had happened to her home while she had gone? Had a natural disaster ravaged it? Or had the Wraith visited and left it in shambles when no human could be found? She wrung her hands nervously.

"Uh… somewhere in the middle. We're not in any danger going there." The astrophysicist waved off Sheppard's concerns. "I'll show you the images in the control room. We'll be fine, don't freak out."

Sheppard sighed and tapped his radio off. He turned back to Tallis. "Go back to your quarters and get into something more…" He gesticulated slightly, unsure of how to describe a field uniform. When Tallis nodded and showed her understanding, he continued. "Be in the Gate room in a couple of minutes."

Tallis left the infirmary where she had become comfortable in the last several days and used a transporter to cut her travel time. She entered her rooms and changed from her ceremonial outfit. She had taken to wearing it often, as it was the most comfortable thing she had to wear, and it eased her feminine worries about her face and body. She, instead, slipped into one of her nondescript green uniforms and laced up her boots. She tied her hair back into two ponytails and left, quickly traveling to the Gate room.

There, she found Makran and Ronon, waiting for Teyla, Rodney and Sheppard who were standing up in the control room. The two Atlantean men were arguing about whatever was on one of the computers, and Teyla suddenly interjected, cooling both of their tempers. They came to an agreement, and came down to join them, handing Tallis and Makran P-90s.

Tallis looked up at Makran as the Gate was dialed. "I have missed your company." She confided softly.

He met her gaze and then found the floor incredibly interesting. He didn't answer her, and the two Kellans followed Colonel Sheppard's team through the Gate.

**XXX**

The trek into the forests of Kella was quiet. Even Rodney, who could easily find many things to talk excitedly and quickly about, had an almost dejected air about him. The sadness of the two youngest companions was almost contagious in its thickness, quickly ensnaring the others and stealing their momentary contentment and joy. Their mission was simply to find what they could about the Ancients who had dwelled on Kella, but the mood was not one of excitement and discovery.

Tallis was troubled. She was almost nauseous with the amount of emotion that was rushing through her. She felt light-headed, and she wanted to lie down and sleep this experience away. Alas, it was not possible, so she grit her teeth against the pain and tried not to remember all that had happened to her on her home planet. Yet all she could think about was the sight of her father with almost gray skin, near his death. She missed him. She forced herself to take deep breaths. Now was not the time to be girlish and overcome with stupid emotion.

She looked up as she heard Makran's soft voice as he gave Colonel Sheppard general directions to where their great city was located. She kept her eyes on the ground, carefully stepping through the thorny brush underfoot. Her heart raced in her chest, unsure of how to feel about going home. She had long dreamed of returning to their beautiful city and entering her father's mansion again, but she knew it would not be the same. Her father and mother did not inhabit the rooms of their home, so it was not home.

Tallis took a deep breath as they stepped through the last uneven row of trees and into the suburbs of the Kellan city. Sheppard's eyebrows were slightly raised, somewhat impressed by the level of technology the Kellans had once had. Dr. McKay started to speak very rapidly, mentally taking notes and asking Makran many questions about their city.

"How are you, Tallis?" Teyla asked, placing a hand on the younger woman's shoulder.

Tallis looked up at Teyla and tried her best to smile. "It is strange… to be back here. I never thought I would return, out of fear of the Wraith. It would have been dangerous for us. And now, it is not home." She admitted.

With that, Sheppard led the small group into the city. Its buildings were tall and multicolored, and if not for their grand size and beautiful architecture, their hues would have seemed gaudy amongst the olive trees. The cobbled stone had been weathered and smoothed over the years since the stones had been laid. It disturbed Tallis greatly, however, when she saw the vegetable and meat stands and exhibits of artists' wares, as if the inhabitants of the city were simply out in the forests, and as if there had been no deadly plague that ravaged lives.

"Where were these Ancient buildings?" Sheppard asked over his shoulder.

Makran looked up at the buildings, attempting to familiarize himself once again with the city. It had been two years, and he missed this place. "The three buildings are to the left at this next turn." He answered as his eyes fell on one house that was known to him, and Tallis stepped to his side. "I am well." He insisted, and she rolled her eyes, maintaining her close distance. She knew he needed her support, and she would not move, even for his pride.

"What is it?" Sheppard looked back at the two Kellans.

"It is where I used to live. It is nothing." He brushed off the concern, and then began leading the others further into the city, and then down the road he had spoken of.

"I don't get a good feeling from this, Sheppard." Ronon rumbled, his Wraith stunner in his hand.

John looked up at the Satedan. "Neither do I." He gripped his P-90 tightly. He glanced around the buildings, his sharp eyes studying the metal and wood for any sign of the Wraith.

"Do you think they are here?" Tallis asked, her heart in her throat and her hands slick with nervous sweat.

Teyla stepped into the conversation quickly. "Colonel Sheppard and Ronon are both very cautious people. I am sure there is nothing to worry about."

Tallis didn't see the warning look Teyla shot the two men over her head as she nodded, and then took several strides to fall into step beside Makran. Her fellow Kellan was talking to Dr. McKay, answering as many questions as he could about their technology.

"No, Dr. McKay, I am not sure how our medicines work. I am sure the answers lie in the Governor's mansion." Makran assured the scientist.

"Wait, what governor?" McKay asked, not having heard the term associated with a mansion.

Tallis answered before Makran could open his mouth. "Traditionally, Kellan leaders are called Governors, and the mansion is where all of our leaders have lived. I believe it is like…" She frowned as she tried to remember what she had learned in her last conversation with Dr. Beckett. "The castles on your world?"

Dr. McKay nodded absently. "Yes, yes, thank you." He looked down at the life signs detector, calmed by the sight of six blips on the screen. "Tallis, is there a ZPM in the Ancient buildings?" He asked as they entered the grand structures that had been preserved beautifully over the years.

"What is a ZPM?" She asked, lingering at Makran's side as they stood casually by the entrance.

"It's a power source." He answered shortly, before turning his attention to Makran. "You mentioned there was a shield that protected your people at one point?"

He looked up quickly from the spot on the floor where he had been staring. "Oh, yes." He nodded. "But it obviously failed, for some reason. I do not know if it was the power source, but the…" He rubbed the back of his neck agitatedly as he remembered what happened. "The Wraith attacked us… not five years ago. They culled as many as they could, but most of our people remained safe." He reached for Tallis' hand in his distress, and at seeing the pain on her face. Her best female friend had been culled, and she would never forget it.

She gripped his hand as though it was her lifeline. "We thought we were protected, and we became arrogant in our research. Since then, we did not try to make any more findings, but it was unnecessary. The plague came three years later."

"I am sorry." Teyla conveyed her compassion for the two young adults. Her planet, too, had been culled, and she knew their pain. Ronon could only nod his agreement with Teyla's statement, but did not speak. Visions of Melena were shooting through his mind. He understood there was nothing he could have done to save her; he had done all he could, but he still had lost his wife. He missed her.

Rodney slipped the life signs detector into a pocket on his vest, and then started down one of the hallways, awkward in the conversation about loss and death. Sheppard followed after him.

"What's going on with this?" Sheppard gestured to the walls that were covered with Ancient symbols, almost like a mural. There were several images of battle and couples in love, and children growing into adults, but it all made no sense to him because he had a minimal knowledge of the Ancient language.

"It's the story of their history. Something about a king and a queen, their three kids and a coup." Rodney waved a hand, inputting his quick translation of the mural into his data pad. "I think it's just one of those cultural things."

"Not that important?" John looked down at Rodney, a questioning look on his face.

"No." Rodney rolled his eyes condescendingly. "It's important, but probably won't help us find a ZPM." He stood up, looking down into the dark hallway. "Okay, let's keep going."

Meanwhile, Ronon had walked outside to stand guard, feeling uncomfortable in the Ancient building. There was something about it that irked him, and he was much more at ease in the bright sunlight and fresh air. Teyla, Tallis and Makran, who were in the shade of the Ancient edifice, wandering through the halls as the two Kellans explained the significance of the Ancestors to their people. They told stories of growing up on Kella, and Tallis talked about her father and mother. Makran stayed silent through most of the conversation, trailing the two women as they talked animatedly.

Tallis nearly jumped when Teyla's radio came to life, and Sheppard was ordering them to run to the Gate. She looked up, fear in her eyes, searching for some direction from the Athosian. Teyla immediately raced off down the hallway, expecting the other two would follow, and indeed they did. Their racing footsteps rang throughout the stone corridor as they rushed back to the main room. Ronon was at the entrance, his Wraith stunner in hand.

Tallis looked up at Makran, her heart hammering in her chest. "Are they really coming for us?" She asked, her voice small.

Sheppard and McKay emerged into the entrance room, and the Air Force colonel easily took his position as team leader. "Come on, guys, we have to get out of here." He stated, and took off at a run.

Sheppard's P-90 was in his hands and he now appeared as the leader all of the Atlanteans claimed he was. He was not afraid to kill to protect his team, but his mind was racing with all other alternatives to engaging the Wraith in battle. He led them out of the Kellan city. Tallis and Makran didn't have the time to say farewell to their city, and merely followed Sheppard, in the middle of the group. Rodney was ahead of them, and Teyla and Ronon were acting as a strong rearguard.

"Sheppard!" Rodney snapped. "They've swarmed around the Gate."

He muttered something underneath his breath, what Tallis assumed was a vile curse. He slowed to a quick walk, glancing at his team. It seemed that there was an unspoken conversation, and they made their decision. Tallis and Makran felt completely 'out of the loop', as their friends from Earth would say.

"Ronon, you and me, we draw them away from the Gate with some heavy fire. Try to get them deep in the forest. Then we circle back to the Gate. I'll go north; you take south. Teyla, take Tallis and Makran and get them to Atlantis. Close the wormhole. We'll be there." Colonel Sheppard doled out his orders, and then looked at Tallis and Makran. "Follow Teyla, and don't stop."

Makran nodded, and then grabbed Tallis' hand as they followed the Athosian at a sprint, nearly dragging her through her fear. When she recovered her emotions, she pulled her hand away and was free to run on her own. He watched her carefully, though his mind was focused on getting to the Gate than observing his friend. She was pale and her legs seemed unsure. He knew what she was feeling because he did not feel stable himself. He had seen friends be taken by the Wraith as well. He did not want the same fate to fall to her. This time, he vowed, he would protect her.

The Gate was not a terribly far distance from the town, since most of Kella's infrastructure relied on their active, prosperous trade, but there was no evidence of Wraith passing through. They had known the Atlanteans would be in the city, and were simply waiting for them to return. Makran's stomach fell into his feet, and he forced himself to remember Ronon and Colonel Sheppard would draw them away. Despite knowing the two men, Makran still could not find it in himself to fully trust them, so he worried.

Teyla suddenly slowed down and ducked behind a few decaying logs, and Tallis and Makran followed her lead. She glanced at them, noting their guns were in their hands, ready for a fight, if necessary. She prayed to the Ancestors the Colonel and Ronon would be successful.

"Now, we wait." She whispered quietly, and they crouched there for several minutes until gunfire exploded and several Wraith were stunned.

The others reacted, pulling their own guns out and shooting at their unseen foe. Their enemy made himself visible, and they raced after the offenders. Three Wraith were left to guard the Gate, and Teyla sighed. She met the eyes of her Kellan friends; they knew what to do.

She took a deep breath and counted to five, attempting to find some inner calm. She centered herself, and then stood up, raising her P-90 to shoot with deadly accuracy at the Wraith. The first one fell, and then the second one by the combined forces of Tallis and Makran. The third one seemed more resilient, but Teyla decided it would be best to run for it.

"Go!" She ordered, and they raced towards the Gate.

Makran's hands were slick with sweat as he dove behind the DHD to escape the fire of the Wraith that Tallis and Teyla had found cover to shoot at. He quickly dialed Atlantis, which Dr. McKay had taught him to do, and sent the IDC that the astrophysicist had also instructed him. The shimmering blue looked so comforting, but he pulled up his gun and began firing at the last Wraith. Just as his luck would go, the Wraith was joined by one of his buddies, but Makran did not know that until he felt his entire body seize up from a blast he did not see coming. His world turned black.

Tallis saw her friend go down as she screamed as a Wraith dart flew overhead, picking up his body. She squeezed the trigger of her P-90 and destroyed the Wraith that had taken Makran. Her eyes were filled with tears and her body was essentially useless as Teyla grabbed her arm and pulled her through the Stargate.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis or anything pertaining to the Stargate awesomeness.**

Tallis collided with Teyla as they rushed through the Stargate, leaving the skirmish behind. The Gate was closed by Weir's sharp order after Rodney had dived through, and Tallis sprinted towards the grand staircase where the Earth woman was descending and stopped only one step below Dr. Weir. The Kellan found it increasingly difficult to keep herself from sobbing as she searched Dr. Weir's eyes, imploring her wordlessly.

"Dr. Weir, Colonel Sheppard, Ronon and Makran are still… they're still…" Tallis slumped her shoulders and her knees wobbled as cries began to rip from her throat and her chest. Tears slid down her face, and while she felt like a fool for acting emotionally, she didn't have the strength of will to stop herself from crying.

Elizabeth uneasily glanced around. She knew what it was like to feel so hopeless and lost. She was intimately aware of the heart-crushing pain that came with having friends in the hands of the enemy. John had been in so many life-and-death situations, but every time he went into another situation where his life was on the line, it seemed like the first time. She worried for him and Ronon and Makran, but she was still a leader, and even Tallis, who was a strong young woman, was relying on her now to make the right decision.

She tentatively wrapped an arm around Tallis' heaving shoulders and led her down the stairs and into the left hallway, heading towards the infirmary. Elizabeth had enough experience with people coming from the field to know the poor girl was traumatized by her overwhelming emotions and shock. She needed a good meal, quietness and rest, and perhaps a comforting presence to constantly check up on and fuss over her. There was only one person in Atlantis who could give her all of those things, and that was Carson Beckett.

The Scot looked up from his microscope as he heard the door open, and his features creased with worry when he saw how Tallis trembled and leaned heavily on Elizabeth. He gave the girl a small smile and let her lean on him as he looked to Elizabeth for answers.

"Colonel Sheppard, Ronon and Makran haven't returned from Kella." She stated, and that gave Carson all the information he needed. He didn't dwell on the fact two of his closest friends were once again in danger. He had a patient to take care of. He would worry and fear later. "I think she's going into shock, and…" She gave Carson a tight smile, and gently rubbed Tallis' back. "I'll be back to check up on you." With those soft words, she left to attend to her work.

Carson led Tallis to a bed in the furthest corner, conscious that people needed privacy to work through their emotions and find some semblance of inner peace. He immediately gave the girl a light sedative to calm her, but not enough to make her fall asleep. He met the eyes of his head nurse, Andrea, and she left the room to retrieve a meal.

Dr. Beckett made a few notes on Tallis' chart, and then set it aside, taking a seat next to her. Her tears had subsided, and she looked up at him with silently agonized, reddened eyes. She had drawn the covers up underneath her chin, making her look like a small child.

"Are you all right, lass?" He asked. It was hard to see so many people go through terrible ordeals as they did in the Pegasus galaxy. It was difficult to witness the mental breakdowns of his friends from Earth, but it was a different sort of ache that afflicted his soft heart when he saw how the presence of the Wraith affected the native inhabitants of this galaxy.

Tallis shook her head, pursing her lips together to try and stop the tears from flooding down her face again. A few drops of moisture leaked from the corners of her eyes, but she managed to stop herself from falling apart again. "No, I'm not, Dr. Beckett." She admitted. "Makran is my friend, and through everything, we have stood together. I do not always tell him how much he means to me, but to lose him would be to lose myself." She sniffed, letting herself sink into the pillows on her bed. "Colonel Sheppard… he will bring Makran back, right?"

Carson took one of Tallis' hands in a comforting gesture and gave it a gentle squeeze. "He will do all he can, and you know Colonel Sheppard as I do. He will die before he allows someone under his protection to be…" He didn't finish his sentence, and Tallis looked grateful that he did not.

"Then I will try and be content with that." She looked away, her chin trembling. "I want him back, Dr. Beckett." She said quietly, her voice a small hint into how directionless she felt without her friend. "We haven't spoken in a very long time, and I believe he blames me for all that has happened. He is afraid, as I am, but he also a man." Her mood was lightened by the small chuckle that came from the doctor.

"Indeed, Tallis, most of us are not very good with expressing ourselves." Carson stood up and offered her a tissue, which she accepted. "I'll be checking up on you every few hours, and Andrea should be here soon with something for you to eat. Try to sleep." He gave her a comforting smile, and she closed her eyes after wiping her tears away.

**XXX**

Tallis couldn't fall asleep. She kept her eyes closed, and opened them only when the lovely head nurse brought her a meal. She ate it with relish, as the Atlantian food was quite delicious, though different and blander than what she was used to. The nurse took the tray away, and she settled onto her side, hoping that if she relaxed, her stomach would stop turning and her worry would diminish. It didn't, even after an hour.

The door opened, and Dr. Weir walked in. "How are you feeling, Tallis?"

Tallis sat up and tucked her messy hair behind her shoulders, folding her hands in her lap. "I am worried about them." She sighed, ignoring the slight ache in her lower back. "Have you any news?" She asked eagerly, her eyes showing precious hope.

"No, not yet." Elizabeth replied sadly. "I've sent a team out to find them, but from what Teyla has told me, they could be anywhere in the galaxy." She adopted an ironclad voice. "We will find them, Tallis." She offered a small quirk of a smile, and then gave the younger woman's shoulder a small squeeze. "Try to get some rest."

And as before, Tallis found no rest, and laid in the bed, eyes closed, praying to the Ancestors that her friend would be found, and that Colonel Sheppard and Ronon would be returned to Atlantis as well. There was no comfort in her prayers, and Dr. Beckett allowed her to borrow one of his medical textbooks when he saw she couldn't fall asleep.

**XXX**

"You know, Ronon, this stuff is getting kind of old." John Sheppard remarked as he sat in the cell he shared with the other two men. "Someday, I'd like to be taken captive by… say, a ship full of beautiful women, but I'd even settle for some non-life-sucking aliens. I really would."

Makran paced anxiously, his eyes full of fear as he struggled not to lose his last meal. "Does this happen to you a lot?" He asked, his voice betraying his terror.

"Sometimes." Ronon rumbled. "But we'll find a way out." His dark eyes watched the corridor towards their prison, daring a Wraith to come for them. It had been almost an hour since they had been taken aboard the Wraith hive ship, and they had seen no sign of their captors since. Ronon was anxious for some battle.

"Exactly." Sheppard agreed, standing up and looking around. "Or they'll come looking for us. McKay has been tracking as many Hive ships as possible, and the Kellan part of the galaxy has been empty for the past while, so this ship will appear as an anomaly on his readouts." It, of course, was torture for the Air Force Lieutenant Colonel to sit on board a Wraith hive ship, but he knew McKay, and he trusted the other man's intellect to bring them home. He wouldn't fathom any other options when there was still hope.

"What do we do until then?" Makran looked at the older men, on the edge of panic. He kept glancing out into the corridor, expecting a Wraith to come for them and feed on each of them. He could tell that even Sheppard was agitated with fear, but he couldn't possibly understand the fear that came from knowing the Wraith were near.

Makran hadn't known he could be so afraid. He had seen the Wraith before, and seen the devastation they could create, but that time, he had been lucky and had hidden in the forests with some of his friends. Now, there was no escape for him. Shaking, he sat down and leaned against the sticky, organic wall.

He just wanted to go home, to curl up in his warm blankets and eat Kellan food. He wanted a change of clothes and then, he wanted to see Tallis. He didn't want to be terrified anymore, and he most certainly didn't want to get fed on. He brought his legs up to his chest and placed his forehead on his knees. He would have liked to believe that he was brave, that he could have some courage in the face of his death. All he could muster up was fear and trembling, and he felt humiliated because of it.

Another hour passed, and Makran noticed he was still shaking, and it wasn't because of his fear. Sweat had been trickling down his back, and from his brow into his eyes. He continually wiped his palms against his pants, and wet spots were growing where his most active sweat glands were.

"You okay, Makran?" Ronon asked, noticing the boy's pale skin.

"Y-yeah." His voice shook. "I feel sick." He moaned as he turned away from the other two and vomited in the corner of their cell.

Sheppard was immediately at his side, and he held onto Makran's shoulders as the younger man continued to vomit. With a critical eye, John glanced at the vomit, but saw nothing that might have irritated someone's stomach. Both Kellans had been eating Atlantian food for about three weeks, and had sampled every meal they had to offer, and he had heard no news of anyone getting sick. He couldn't be bothered with wondering why the young man was sick because this would be a hindrance when they were escaping, if he continued to be sick.

"Just lie down." John pulled his jacket from his shoulders and folded it up, lifting Makran's head up to slid the makeshift pillow underneath.

Makran tried to relax, but his muscles began to cramp, forcing him into semi-paralysis. He was quickly becoming wild with pain that ravaged through his veins, and his mind mercifully shut down to give himself peace.

Sheppard sighed. It wasn't as though he thrived on being taken prisoner and then escaping, but he had learned a thing or two. However, he had never had a sick person to bring along. Unless McKay pulled a very, very clever idea out of his ass, this would be difficult, but there was nothing else that could be done. They were waiting on McKay.

**XXX**

Dr. Weir looked up as a technician opened the door to her office. "Yes?" She asked, smiling politely.

"The IOA want to speak with you." The young technician said, and then walked back to the control room, giving Dr. Weir a sympathetic look. Over the years, the leader of Atlantis had had to contend with the irksome IOA, who considered all of her decisions bad, and this was another one of those episodes.

Elizabeth walked into the control room and faced the screen, and an image of Richard Woosley came up. "Hello, Mr. Woosley. What is it that you need?" She asked, remaining polite.

He sighed. "When we last spoke, as you remember, you brushed off the IOA's concerns about Tallis and Makran of Kella, or MXP-328. You can imagine that they haven't gained the greatest reputation here at the SGC when they return to their home planet, and the military commander of Atlantis is taken prisoner by the Wraith."

Dr. Weir narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Are the IOA suggesting that Tallis and Makran are responsible for this?"

Mr. Woosley raised his eyebrows at the hostile tone. "Yes, frankly."

Dr. Weir felt anger burn underneath her skin. "What are the IOA going to do, pull me from my position because I trusted two teenagers? I'm sure the IOA has read my report; Makran was taken prisoner as well." She straightened her posture, beyond irritated. "I do not have time to deal with the IOA, Mr. Woosley. I will speak to you later, but right now, Dr. McKay and Major Lorne's team, along with Colonel Caldwell and the Daedalus, are tracking the hive ship."

"Dr. Weir, you have to understand. Colonel Sheppard is a great asset to Atlantis, and we must take anyone who might be involved as a serious threat to his safety, and to the safety of Atlantis." Mr. Woosley explained.

"I understand that, Mr. Woosley." Dr. Weir's voice was tight, and she clenched her fists at her side. "I have work to return to."

Mr. Woosley stopped her. "The IOA want to question you here, at the SGC."

She stiffened, and then nodded. "Fine. I will come immediately." She turned to Chuck. "Get McKay on the line." She said as the connection with Mr. Woosley was cut off.

Chuck complied, and soon, Rodney's voice filled the control room. "No, Elizabeth, I'm not at all busy, trying to save Sheppard's troublesome butt again, I'm completely free for a casual conversation." He stated sarcastically.

"Rodney," She warned him. She was not in the mood for his sarcasm. "The IOA's calling me back to the SGC, and I don't know who they'll be sending in my place, if I'm needed for a longer period of time. Your mission is a standing order. Bring John back." By the last sentence, her voice was soft as she worried for the three men who were stuck on a Hive ship. Her heart ached to see John back in the halls of Atlantis. This sort of thing happened far too much for her heart.

"We will." Rodney replied, and then cut the connection, and Chuck dialed Earth.

**XXX**

McKay glanced over the controls, his mind working at a million thoughts a minute. From his rough estimation of the positions of Hive ships around their part of the universe, he was pretty sure which ship held Sheppard, but that was only sixty-percent certainty. That was a high chance for anyone else, but this was Rodney McKay, and this had to do with Sheppard's life. McKay wanted to be completely sure before they stormed the stronghold.

"Sir," A technician addressed Major Lorne. "Leaving hyperspace."

Major Lorne nodded, and he went back to their work, reinforcing the shields and cloaking the ship. The officer looked at McKay who had set up shop, as they say, near where he sat so the Canadian could snap off scientific orders. There was a lab of sorts in the back, and McKay would never admit it, but he needed to be close to the action or he'd go insane.

"Are you ready, McKay?" The major asked.

McKay looked up. "What?" He registered Lorne's question, and then shrugged with a small nod. "Of course. I'm fine." He sighed. "What's the plan? I got us here, now you have to get them out."

Major Lorne nodded, though he was slightly irritated by his own nerves. He was experienced, but he always got a little nervous. "I explained it to you already, McKay."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Isn't it obvious I wasn't listening to you? I was busy getting us here." He gestured irascibly towards the dark space and the twinkling stars and planets.

Major Lorne sighed. "Alright. We're going to get beamed on board where there are less Wraith. We know where we're going once we're on board because of the schematics you brought back when we helped out Michael." He said. "Then we bust Sheppard, Ronon and Makran out, and run."

McKay nodded, a hardened look on his face as he closed his laptop. The part he played in this little "dramedy" wasn't yet over, but he was definitely out of his element now that he was leaving the confines of his mathematical equations and scientific theories. Excuse him, but he still wasn't used to handling a gun against extremely volatile life-sucking aliens. He just reacted to certain death in a certain way. Personal thing.

"McKay, tell me again why Teyla isn't here?" Lorne asked uneasily as he stood up and allowed one of his subordinates to take over.

Rodney accepted the P-90 a young marine handed him and then straightened his vest. "Oh, Elizabeth wanted her to stay in case the rest of us all die." He answered easily, and then understanding of what he just said dawned on him. "That's not exactly what was supposed to come out."

Lorne exhaled. "Helpful, Dr. McKay." He stated as the technician prepared to beam them, and the team of thirty marines that had assembled on Lorne's call on the other jumpers, onto the Wraith Hive ship. To hopefully save their commanding officer and two friends. Hopefully.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: SGA doesn't belong to me. Neither does SG-1. Which may or may not be appearing any time soon. Not that that's a HINT or anything…**

Rodney immediately snapped into action when they were beamed onto the Wraith hive ship. There would be dozens of Wraith on them at any moment, so they had to move. He followed behind Major Lorne, carrying a life-signs detector. He studied the screen. There were, in total, fifty Wraith on board, but most of them were gathered together, and Rodney could only assume that was the bridge, and his assumptions were, of course, usually right.

"We've got two on our six, Major." Rodney announced, and the four marines who followed them as the others spread out turned around.

All six men took up their positions and waited with baited breath. Several seconds passed, and two Wraith, as promised, turned down the corridor. The Wraith pulled out their own guns and began shooting as Lorne's team returned fire. Thanks to the marines' sharp-shooting, the Wraith fell.

"We have to go." Lorne said as he put a new clip into his gun. "Any ideas, McKay?" He asked, continuing down the darkened hallway.

Rodney quickly recalled the schematics of the last Hive ship they had under their control, and found their relative location to the bridge. He closed his eyes briefly, his lips moving soundlessly as he thought rapidly. His eyes snapped open and he shouldered past Major Lorne, his gait powerful because he had knowledge. When Rodney McKay had knowledge, he was more powerful than John Sheppard with a P-90. He turned down the next hallway, and saw it was a dead end of sorts. At the end, there was a small cell and there were two occupants.

"Where the hell is Sheppard?" Rodney snapped at Ronon who was already picking up an unconscious Makran and moving backwards. The demolitions expert of Lorne's team, a young man by the name of Captain Brian Leeds, knelt down and started connecting the strands that acted as prison bars to some explosives.

"They took him about an hour ago." Ronon answered, his deep voice darker than usual.

"What's with him?" Rodney demanded, gesturing to Makran whose skin was paler than McKay thought possible, and his veins could be seen through his skin. His veins were green, and while McKay wasn't into voodoo, he assumed that wasn't good.

Ronon adjusted Makran in his arms so he wouldn't accidentally lose control of the boy's unconscious form. "He was shaking earlier, and then started to throw up. He passed out for an hour or so, and then woke up to throw up more. He fainted again a couple minutes before the Wraith came for Sheppard."

Rodney tucked the life-signs detector into his vest pocket, and then gesticulated, frustrated. He had come up with a perfect plan to get them out of a freaking Wraith Hive ship, and of course, Sheppard just had to get himself interrogated or killed or fed upon. He followed Lorne behind the turn in the hallway as Captain Leeds detonated the explosives and a billow of smoke blew out. McKay coughed as Ronon, followed by the demolitions expert, came into the hallway.

"Major Lorne?" An unfamiliar voice came through the radio.

"Colonel Caldwell?" Lorne responded.

"What's your status, Major?" Caldwell asked. "And how did you manage to beam onto the ship?"

Lorne silently motioned for two marines to set up a watch so he could continue this conversation. "Dr. McKay did some work with Asgard technology that we found on a planet my team visited, and he's modified the Puddlejumpers so they can enter hyperspace for a short period of time, as well as do some basic beaming." He explained. "Our status, sir, is that we have Ronon and Makran, but Colonel Sheppard has been taken by the Wraith. And sir, how did you manage to get here so quickly?"

"Dr. Jackson found a ZPM in the Milky Way." Caldwell answered, and he paused. "We're having trouble getting a lock on you."

McKay was confused, and then he swore. "The Wraith know we're here. They put their shields up. We are so screwed." He ground his teeth as he tried to come up with a plan. He let out a sigh.

"Come on, McKay." Caldwell snapped. "And I thought they didn't have shields."

McKay turned his face to his radio and tried his best not to scream in frustration. "Colonel, while I am the smartest man in two galaxies, even I need a moment to come up with a plan. And they don't have shields, per se, but I like to refer to the effect their organic ships have on our technology as shielding." An idea dawned on him, and he snapped his fingers at Captain Leeds before handing the young man the life-signs detector. "Captain, do you think all of the marines have enough explosives to take out the shielding system if you're given a weak point?"

Captain Leeds grinned as he looked down at the detector. It reminded him of a Game Boy. "Yeah, I think so, Dr. McKay." He answered, playful sarcasm in his voice despite the direness of the situation. "Which blinky things are we?"

"The ones that aren't moving." McKay replied shortly. "Major, tell a couple teams of your men to meet me in Corridor 25A." He instructed, referring to the small data pads he had given to all of the three-man teams.

Lorne complied as he followed behind McKay, and then swore violently as he could hear one of his teams being fed upon by Wraith. He glanced over his shoulder as gunfire exploded behind him. He knelt down on one knee to pound bullets into the five Wraith that had heard the sound when Captain Leeds had blown the door to the cell that held Ronon and Makran. Lorne tossed Ronon a handgun after the Satedan had laid Makran's body down.

"Leeds, you got anything for me?" Lorne asked over the gunfire.

Captain Leeds nodded and pulled out a flashbang. In his experience, he found that Wraith were affected by the grenades just enough to give them a hand up in the battle. There were only five Wraith, and there were seven of the good guys. He pulled the pin and threw it at the aliens. There was the flash, and the bang, and the gunfire continued until the Wraith were so filled with lead there wasn't enough room left in them to move.

Major Lorne stood up and kicked the bodies of the Wraith, and was only then convinced they were dead. "We've gotten lucky. We have to move, now." With that, he allowed McKay to lead them to there was, apparently, a weakness in the shields.

**XXX**

John Sheppard was exhausted. Honestly. He was really tired of being beat up and shot with stunners. It was hell on his body and absolute torture on his brain. Heh. Torture on his brain. Imagine that. No one had ever tried THAT before in the Pegasus galaxy.

Stupid jokes prompted by questionable lucidity aside, he was starting to let go of hope. He knew that if Ronon and Makran were able, they would do whatever possible to get out of their cell and come rescue him, but Makran was probably still spewing his stomach's contents over the floor of their prison, and while Ronon would be sorely tempted to break out using his many knives, the Satedan would protect the weakest first.

You know, sometimes, Sheppard wished he could be the weakest. Not really, but one could understand his meaning.

John groaned as he heard the door open, and footsteps seemed to echo ominously as a Wraith approached. He was forced from his position curled up on his side back up onto his knees. Pressure increased in his head and he felt as though he would fall over if not for the creepy Wraith powers. His recently acquired head wound oozed more blood and it slid down his cheek and down his neck. His ribs ached, and his entire leg was aflame with pain that radiating from his knee, which he was pretty sure was dislocated. He could only hope that the Daedalus had arrived at Atlantis, and had been sent along after McKay who was inevitably working on a solution.

"Who are you?" The Wraith queen hissed, running a finger along his jaw, flanked by a ridiculous amount of guards.

John winced in pain, and then looked the Wraith queen directly in the eye, his face otherwise impassive. "I'm Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the starship, Enterprise." He answered solemnly. Was he the only one that found it oddly hilarious to say sarcastically stupid things in the face of death?

"Captain Picard," The Wraith queen tested the name. "You are lying to me."

Sheppard smiled his trademark slow smile and shrugged. "Whatever you want to believe."

"What is the address to Earth?" The queen persisted.

"I won't tell you!" Sheppard ground out, as he had done several times before. The queen would come in and question him, and then leave, and allow her guards to pound on the prisoner. He would lie on the ground and bleed, and wait for the queen to return. Maybe they thought he would break over time. A likely story.

"Oh, but I believe you will… Colonel Sheppard." The queen smirked as she spoke his real name. "You are not unknown to us, and neither are your friends that are on my hive ship. They have been taken prisoner, and they will die, as will you, if you do not tell me the address to Earth."

John was vaguely surprised that she knew who he was, but he supposed word would have gotten around sometime. The whole trying-to-destroy-an-evil-that's-been-plaguing-the-galaxy was usually considered a big thing by most people. But in response to the queen, he looked up at her defiantly. "And if I tell you, more people will die. So I'm going to go…" He groaned as a guard kicked him in the ribs. "With no."

"Very well, Sheppard."

He didn't bat an eye as her hand slammed into his chest.

**XXX**

General Landry greeted Elizabeth when she stepped into the SGC. They walked in silence through the halls to one of the conference rooms, where the IOA representatives were undoubtedly waiting for her. The silence was tense until they were away from prying ears.

"They're rather unhappy about this turn of events, Elizabeth." General Landry told her.

Elizabeth took a deep breath to contain her biting wrath for the IOA, and nodded. "I can imagine." She agreed. Truthfully, she wasn't worried about losing her position. It wasn't as though she was conceited, and she definitely wasn't calm, but she would be when she stepped into that conference room. "What do you think the chances are?"

"Of you being removed?" General Landry asked. When she nodded, he continued. "Zero. You're the best we have for Atlantis, and you have quite a few friends who won't let something like this happen." He stopped as they approached the conference room, and shook his head at the airman who turned to open the door. "General O'Neill heard about this the moment he arrived earlier today. If the IOA insist on removing you, he'll do everything in his power to stop it."

Landry gave her a confident smile. "They're the ones who should be worried, Elizabeth. Not you."

"I appreciate the support, General." Elizabeth smiled in return, and then nodded to the airman, who then opened the door.

Elizabeth walked into the room, her head high and her strides strong. The very sight of the three representatives caused anger to well up in the pit of her stomach, but she relaxed somewhat when the always cavalier Brigadier General Jack O'Neill stood up and shook her hand.

"Good to see you, Dr. Weir. Just dropped in to do some inspections, and I see our friend Sheppard has gotten himself into trouble again." General O'Neill explained, looking quite dashing in his dress blues. "I'm sorry you have to deal with these…" He trailed off, gesturing to the three seated representatives.

"Thank you, General." She replied, able to conjure up a small smile. "Shall we get started?" She turned to the IOA, and Mr. Woosley nodded.

"The first decision of yours we would like to speak about is…"

Weir settled herself into a chair, the general beside her, prepared to endure whatever they threw at her.

**XXX**

Dr. McKay arrived in Corridor 25A and immediately took a Swiss Army knife from one of the gathered soldiers. He cut into the organic wall and gently peeled a section of the covering away. There was a myriad of slimy wires and connections, none of which he recognized. Rodney refrained from swearing. Hive ships were all similar, but they were not entirely identical. He straightened up and started down the hallway to the next corridor.

Something evidently had large amounts of Wraith gathered in one place, because there were no guards in the area. McKay wandered down the next winding passage, and then couldn't stop the smirk that spread over his face. He opened up the wall to examine it, but he had found what he was looking for.

"Captain Leeds, I need all of the C4 we have tucked in and blown up." McKay stated, gesturing to the wall.

Captain Leeds peered at the slimy wall and raised his eyebrows. "This is a shield weakness?" He asked skeptically.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Of course it is!" He sighed, exasperated. "This is a connection from the shield generator to the main power. It's not the main line, but it's a secondary… tributary, if you will. It's enough to cause a short, which, in turn, will shut down their shields so even the rudimentary beaming technology I have set up on the jumpers will be able to penetrate. Now blow it up, if you don't mind too much."

The soldiers rushed to hand over their explosives to the young captain as McKay stood off to one side, overseeing the exchange. Rodney glanced uneasily down at the life-signs detector. A large group of Wraith were still in one place, and he couldn't figure it out. There was no logical reason for them to be gathering… wait. Of course there was.

"Major Lorne, I think the Wraith have decided to throw a party for Colonel Sheppard." McKay showed the officer the life-signs detector. "So we should probably go get him before the party gets too rowdy. I don't know exactly how sophisticated our beaming technology is, and I don't want to get beamed onto a puddlejumper with a Wraith."

Lorne nodded, but then paused. "What about the Daedalus?"

"Oh…" McKay rubbed his face and nodded. "Yeah."

It wasn't like him to forget something so obvious, but he had been working on protecting Atlantis for the past week, nearly continuously and without sleep, and then Sheppard just had to get himself captured. It really was all the colonel's fault. Rodney rubbed his eyes, and promised himself he'd find the biggest sandwich, eat it, and then sleep for several days straight. He needed a vacation.

McKay tapped his radio. "Caldwell, when we blow the shields, lock onto Colonel Sheppard and beam him out first. Get him to the infirmary, and then beam us out." He instructed, his eyes following Captain Leeds as he hooked up all of the explosives to go off using one detonator.

"Very well, McKay. We'll also beam Ronon and Makran out." Caldwell replied.

McKay nodded. "Good. McKay out." He tapped his radio once more, turning it off.

Ronon, who was still carrying Makran, glanced at the explosives. "Is this going to work?"

McKay didn't think it was necessary to answer that question.

Rodney followed behind a few Air Force soldiers as they walked a safe distance away. Captain Leeds was explaining what would happen and how powerful the blast would be, and McKay waved a hand at him, effectively shutting the young man up. Leeds handed out earplugs, silently, of course, and Rodney stuffed them into his ears. Captain Leeds ducked down slightly, taking a deep breath, and pressed the detonator's button.

Even through the earplugs, Rodney could hear the blast, and felt the explosion punching into his chest. He staggered back, and ran his hands over his head, trying to get back into 'the zone'. He pulled the earplugs out of his ears and tossed them aside, immediately walking to where Captain Leeds had set up the explosion. He examined the damage, and connected his data screen to a few nearby wires.

"Yep, shields are out." McKay tapped his radio. "Colonel?"

Ronon and Makran were beamed out, and McKay spoke once more. "Do you have Colonel Sheppard with you?"

"Negative, Dr. McKay. We can't lock onto his life sign. You'll have to find him yourself and we'll beam all of you out together." Caldwell explained. "Do you need any extra men?"

McKay glanced at Lorne, and the Air Force Major tapped his own radio. "That's a negative, Colonel. We have thirty men in various teams around the hive. I'm going to order them to meet us at our location, and then we'll move to where we believe Colonel Sheppard is being questioned."

Caldwell turned off his own radio after giving a few basic instructions to Major Lorne, and the team was alone again. McKay refused to think, even for a moment, that Sheppard wasn't alive. He had to be. He was Sheppard, after all, and even though he had a terrible record for getting into trouble, he would still emerge victorious at the end of the day. McKay took a deep breath, trying his best to stay calm as they started off in the direction of where most of the Wraith were gathered.

"Major Lorne!" A voice shouted through the radio.

"Sergeant Patricks?" Lorne asked.

"Affirmative! We've been attacked by a large group of Wraith! Assistance is required!" The sergeant panted as more gunfire erupted. "We're in Section 3, and we…" His voice was swiftly cut off, followed by a terrible gurgling sound. The radio was left on, and Lorne could hear the sound of his men dying.

"Aren't we going to save them?" McKay asked nervously as Lorne stormed onward.

"We can't." He snapped. "They're already dead. Let's get the colonel."

The team, consisting of Lorne, McKay, Leeds and several more marines, continued on in silence, the marines moving forward to check around bends and corners. They encountered several groups of Wraith, and after each escape, they moved quicker. Obviously, the Wraith had already known they were there, but hadn't known exactly where. Now, they knew, and more were leaving their gathering center to come eliminate the threat. If McKay was honest with himself, he didn't really know how they were managing to survive.

They slowed to a stop in front of a closed door. McKay immediately set to work, kneeling down to dig into the wall. The soldiers stood back, uneasy as they watched the scientist attempt to break into the room. McKay complained loudly as he worked.

"You know what's right behind door number one, right?" He glanced at Lorne. "At least twenty-seven Wraith, and we're all going to die."

"We're not going to die, McKay." Lorne responded as several teams met them. One young woman, Lieutenant Sarah Smith, had a cut across her forehead, and one particularly large soldier had a noticeable limp, and he moved over to them to inquire about their health.

McKay jumped back, his eyes wide as the door opened of its own accord. A Wraith soldier stood there, and Rodney fumbled for his gun, when the Wraith was shot from over McKay's shoulder.

"McKay, get behind me!" Captain Leeds yelled as the marines flooded into the room, P-90s blazing.

Captain Leeds rushed forward when he was sure the scientist was behind him and armed, squeezing the trigger and easily finding targets. Something made him pause, however. It was the sound of his commanding officer screaming as he was fed upon.

McKay's eyes fell on the queen feeding on Sheppard as Leeds stopped shooting. Chaos erupted.

The marines and Air Force soldiers found new energy as they fought through the Wraith. Major Lorne was yelling something to Colonel Caldwell over the radio, something about beaming and 'damn it, right now'. Several soldiers had been gunned down by stunners. McKay found a new target: the Wraith queen. His hands shook as he fumbled for the trigger, right as a body collided into his back, limp.

Colonel Sheppard's body slammed into the ground, lifeless, as the Wraith queen screamed.

Captain Brian Leeds couldn't believe what he had just done.

**Cliffhanger… stay tuned and send me a review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**This chapter is dedicated to sparklyshimmer2010 because her last PM gave me a serious muse boost to help me finish this chapter. Any and all Sparky interaction is for her!**

**Disclaimer: SGA doesn't belong to me, but let it be known that writing O'Neill is possibly the best ever. I wish he was mine, and Sam, too. So they could be together forever. Yay!**

The battle in the Wraith hive raged on for several minutes, until all of the Wraith were gunned down. The aliens had the advantage with numbers, but the Atlanteans had the benefit of anger and loyalty burning beneath their skin. The marines began to pile the dead bodies against the wall, and taking count of the injured and dead. There were only two fatalities, and though there was a serious burden of guilt on all of their shoulders, it wasn't enough to count the day as a loss. They still had gotten their commanding officer back.

Rodney looked up as that thought passed through his mind, and shoved his firearm back into its holster after a marine had pushed him over and saved him from a bullet. He rushed over to where Major Lorne and Captain Leeds were crouching, pushing the younger military officer out of the way. 

John's eyes were barely slits as he fought to remain lucid. Blood was seeping from his t-shirt from his side, and his face was pale. Lorne had a field dressing pressed to Sheppard's side, and was encouraging him to stay awake and continue battling. Captain Leeds hadn't moved from where Rodney had pushed him, and seeing Lorne occupied, McKay turned on the captain.

"What the hell happened?" He demanded.

Captain Leeds, though he was no new recruit, looked like a lost little boy, with eyes wide at Rodney's frustration and anger. He sat up and took a deep breath, unable to look at his commanding officer who was bleeding on the floor of the Hive. "The queen… she was feeding on Colonel Sheppard. I had a shot, but I was too far away… I took the shot, and only caught her hand. I finished her off, but I had hit him…" He trailed off, his voice distant, still unable to believe what he had done with one mistake. "I am so going to be court-martialed for this…" 

Rodney put a hand on Leeds' shoulder. "You're not going to be court-martialed if Sheppard has anything to say about this. Now, come on." He stood up, and tapped his radio. "Caldwell? The Wraith have been eliminated and we have Colonel Sheppard. Have a medical team ready for us; he's been shot and fed upon. Not for too long, but after the incident with Kolya, I don't want to be too careful."

"Medical team is ready. Are you ready to be beamed up?"

McKay looked down at Lorne, who nodded. "Let's go home, Colonel."

**XXX**

Elizabeth listened patiently as the IOA criticized her. Though she was angry as hell for being pulled away as her teams were searching for John, she kept strict control over herself and actually tried to understand. She acknowledged there were a few decisions that, in hindsight, were illogical, and perhaps just plain stupid, but she had had the IOA's approval in all situations. The fact that they, though they were politicians, were frustrated with her for making bad decisions when they themselves had sanctioned her decisions was truly the only reason why she was at all angry. She could take criticism. She was a big girl.

Mr. Woosley, when his colleague was finished, nodded to her, giving her a chance to speak.

"I know that I have not always made the best decisions, and some of them, I will admit, were completely my fault, but I do not hesitate to remind you that I had your complete approval for all of the decisions that you are now questioning." Dr. Weir pointed out calmly. "I don't believe that Tallis and Makran of Kella had anything to do with Colonel Sheppard and Ronon Dex being captured, but even I can't be sure. Right now, a contingent of thirty well-trained marines, led by Major Lorne and Dr. McKay, are infiltrating a Hive ship that we believe is holding the Colonel, Ronon and Makran. I have sent Colonel Caldwell in the Daedalus after them to provide back-up. We will know when Colonel Sheppard is back on Atlantis."

The representative to Woosley's left nodded. "I understand that, Dr. Weir, but we cannot simply let these decisions go. The IOA were not in your position to make decisions. We are on Earth, and not on Atlantis. We are not in the same… emotional position as you are. You are liable for your decisions, because we all are well aware that you are one of the leaders that would not care if we didn't sanction a decision you believed right." He met her defiant gaze evenly.

Dr. Weir raised her eyebrows. "My emotional position is not in question here. It is my decision-making abilities, and I do not recant any of my decisions." 

The representatives then turned their attention to General O'Neill, who sat comfortably. "What do you think, General?"

Jack looked up and had a bored look in his eyes that hid the sharp intelligence and righteous anger that flared up behind his brown eyes. "Well, through being attacked by the Wraith numerous times, being attacked by Replicators, and oh, and my favorite, almost being taken over by our good friends, the Genii, Atlantis is still standing and is thriving because of Dr. Weir's leadership. If you throw her out, Atlantis won't survive, and it'll fall to the Wraith and we'll lose damn good men and women, military or not, because you knew that Dr. Weir was the only person who wouldn't take your politician crap." He paused for the defiant effect. "And you wouldn't believe who you'd piss off if you sacked her."

"Who would that be, General?" The lady to Woosley's right asked tersely.

O'Neill's lips quirked into a quick smile. "Oh, let's see, everyone in the Stargate program, except for that annoying one, Kava-whatsit, Colonel Carter and General Landry, myself, of course… and if I'm not mistaken, the President himself is a big fan of Dr. Weir's work. Bad decision, I'd say, since we're on the subject of bad decisions." 

Dr. Weir sneaked a look at General O'Neill and sent him a grateful smile that had a hint of amusement at his unorthodox way of dealing with people. He nodded shortly to her, and his eyes held a promise; he would always be behind her. Since she had taken the Atlantis post, and O'Neill had been promoted to head of Homeworld Security, he had done all he could to battle off the IOA. This time, they hadn't been so lucky, but Elizabeth allowed herself to relax slightly. Woosley had his moments, but he was intimidated by Jack O'Neill. 

"We will let you know when we have come to a decision, Dr. Weir." One of the representatives offered a tight, polite smile. "You are free to go. General, if you would be so kind to stay."

Elizabeth stood up and walked out the door. She began to walk towards the control room to contact Teyla and Dr. Zelenka and find out how the search was going, when Dr. Jackson and Colonel Carter approached her.

"Dr. Weir, we need to speak with you." Colonel Carter said, and Elizabeth knew something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

**XXX**

Carson Beckett had been sitting at his desk, going over his latest data from his genetic studies and chewing happily on a ham and cheese sandwich, when an urgent call came over his radio, and two new patients, along with Rodney McKay, Ronon and Major Lorne were beamed into his infirmary. He looked up, and dropped his food abruptly, standing up. He rolled his sleeves up and slid his arms into his lab coat, snapping his latex gloves on in two swift motions as he walked over to his new patients.

"What happened?" He asked, taken aback by the pale, lifeless face of John Sheppard and the greenish skin of the young Makran.

Rodney looked rather agitated, but he managed to answer. "Some bozo shot Sheppard, but managed to kill the queen that was about to feed on him, and I don't know Makran got so sick." He waved his hand. "I need to… get something to eat." He turned around, raking his hands through his hair as he tried to keep himself steady. 

Ronon looked down at Makran as Dr. Beckett called for Dr. Keller. "What's wrong with him?" He asked the blonde woman.

Dr. Keller looked up at the Satedan, and then back down at her patient. "I don't know, Ronon. I'll have to run some tests, but nothing I've ever seen has made someone's skin this green…" She trailed off, and proceeded to hook Makran up to several machines and place an IV in the back of his hand. "Speaking of which, are you okay?"

Ronon nodded. "I'm fine." 

Dr. Keller looked him over, and didn't see blood coming from any wounds, and quickly checked his eyes. Neither did he have a concussion. Ronon wasn't like Colonel Sheppard, who would stand with his arm hanging from a strand of muscle and say he was fine, and would usually come to the infirmary if he was seriously hurt, but she wouldn't trust him. "Just let one of the doctors to look over you, and then you can go." 

Ronon nodded once more and allowed another doctor to lead him away.

Major Lorne assisted Carson in peeling away the gauze the medical team on the Daedalus had wrapped around Sheppard. They had done the best they could, but they didn't have the supplies to do such surgery safely, nor were they Carson. Lorne sighed as the gruesome wound was revealed.

"He was shot with a P-90 from approximately… twenty yards away. The bullet hit the queen's hand, and went through into the colonel's chest. It missed his heart, but it's still in there. As for Makran, he seems to be the least of your worries right now, doc." Major Lorne explained, and then Carson jumped into action.

"Thank you, Major. Go get some rest; you look exhausted." He patted the younger man's shoulder, and then turned around, hailing several nearby nurses. "Okay, we need to get the colonel into surgery. Prep him." With those calm orders, he walked off to scrub up.

**XXX**

Tallis, in her wanderings about the city, had discovered a lovely view of the ocean and the southwest pier and decided that that was her spot. There was a small cream couch someone had seen fit to place there, and it was the perfect size for her to curl up on it with a book or a small laptop. She had recently been begging anyone who was willing for stories of Earth and its history. She felt it was only appropriate to learn of her saviors. And there was the fact that Earth had such an exciting and violent history.

As it was, Tallis had befriended one of the geologists, Dr. Marie Hannah, and she had given the young Kellan one of her many novels, and without any meetings to go to, she sat on her favorite couch and began to read. Her mind wandered from the intriguing adventures of Frodo, Aragorn and Legolas, to her worry for Makran. 

He had been on her mind for the many hours he had been gone, and she hadn't been able to take the nap that Dr. Beckett had suggested for her. She worried, she cried and sometimes, she sat wondering what her life would be like without him. Her mind conjured up images of him being tortured and then fed upon by the Wraith. Those thoughts made her stomach turn, and she didn't know how to keep herself together. She had found that if she sat still and tried to focus on something else, it was easier to bear. It also helped that she advised several teams going off-world on how to deal with different cultures; it gave her something to think about.

Tallis put down the thick book and sighed, rubbing her temples. She slammed her fist into the cushion next to her. She was beyond furious at the Wraith. She hated them for taking both of her best friends. First, it had been Elina, and now, it was Makran. The Wraith seemed intent on taking everyone and everything she had ever loved. When they had come to their planet, they had taken one of her best friends, along with a few of her other friends. They had slaughtered her aunt in front of her mother's eyes, and she had never been the same, and died six months later. She wanted to scream.

She looked up when she heard footsteps, and saw Teyla walking towards her. Tallis smiled. Teyla had been the first person to befriend her when she had come to Atlantis, and Tallis valued every moment she spent with the older woman, and would come to her for advice and meditation tips. She didn't feel peace and serenity, but she was somewhat calmer when Teyla sat down beside her.

"Hello Tallis. How are you feeling?" Teyla asked, touching Tallis' shoulder gently.

Tallis sighed and looked down at her folded hands in her lap. She peeked up at Teyla, and shook her head. "I am feeling better than before. I attempted to meditate, and I think it helped somewhat. And you? I know you care deeply for Ronon."

Teyla nodded, but a hopeful smile appeared on her face. "I am worried, but Dr. McKay and Major Lorne will not fail. They are very skilled, and Dr. McKay is known for doing the impossible." She stood up and took Tallis' hand and pulled her up as well. "Come, we shall go to the gym and practice stick-fighting. You have improved greatly since you have come here." She smiled in a motherly fashion.

Tallis considered the proposal and nodded with a smile. She was grateful for the diversion, and closed her book after remembering the page number. She really wanted to know what happened after they entered the gate, into the mines of Moria. She followed Teyla.

"When," Tallis emphasized. "When Makran returns… I think I will tell Makran that… that…" She stuttered, furrowing her eyebrows together as she attempted to confide in Teyla. She had been teased mercilessly by the nurses when they saw how Makran would come and collect her for lunch and dinner, and would sometimes come just to distract her, hug her and tease her with a poke to her sides. She hadn't found anyone to listen to her honestly about her true feelings, which had grown to a dangerous place.

Teyla looked at her and smiled. "Do you love him?"

Tears came to Tallis' eyes and rubbed her neck with one hand. "I… I don't… yes." She admitted. "These feelings that well up in me when I see him or think about him… they're terrifying. I imagine bonding with him, and it's so scary, and sometimes, he annoys me with his inability to speak with me honestly, but I want to spend every annoying moment with him." 

Teyla's smile grew to a grin and she hugged the girl. "That is wonderful, Tallis!"

Tallis' smile that came from seeing Teyla's lasted for a few seconds until Teyla's radio came to life.

"_Teyla, is Tallis with you?"_ Dr. Keller asked.

"Yes, Dr. Keller, are we needed?" Teyla replied.

"_Yes, Dr. Beckett wanted to speak with you two when he came out of surgery. Colonel Sheppard, Ronon and Makran have just been beamed down from the Daedalus, and the colonel had been shot. He's still hanging on, but Dr. Beckett needed to operate. Makran is unconscious from some sort of disease, but Ronon's fine and is being looked over. I thought you two might want to come down."_

Teyla looked at Tallis, who appeared anxious, and then spoke into her radio, "We will be there in a few minutes. Thank you, Dr. Keller."

Tallis ran her hands through her hair, which she had left down, and sighed. "I… he's unconscious? A disease? Oh my God," She suddenly let out her Earth friends' favorite phrase. "What if it is the plague? He will die, Teyla! Oh no… Makran is going to die!" Her stomach turned, and she had to lean against the wall to stop herself from throwing up.

Teyla went to Tallis' side. "He will be fine, Tallis. Now, we should go to check up on them, and be there when Colonel Sheppard awakes from the drugs administered for surgery."

Tallis took several deep breaths, and then nodded wordlessly. Together, the two alien women walked to the nearest transporter and pressed the transporter closest to the infirmary. They entered the hallway and turned the corner, and were in the infirmary. Dr. Keller met them with a nervous smile, and pointed them to Ronon, who sat on a bed further into the infirmary.

"Where is Makran, Dr. Keller?" Tallis asked tentatively.

Dr. Keller tucked her pen behind her ear. "He's in isolation at the moment. I ran his blood through several normal tests, and found… well, let's just say there were a couple things that are not normally in a person's blood. I'm not geneticist or scientist, so I can't give you a definitive answer as to what's wrong with him. I don't know if these things are contagious, so we moved him into an isolation room. I can show you to it."

Tallis glanced at Teyla who was sitting next to Ronon, and they were speaking quietly. She nodded. "Yes, that would be nice. Thank you, Dr. Keller."

Tallis followed Dr. Keller to the observation deck over the isolation room. The blonde doctor left her, and Tallis approached the railing and looked down into the room. Makran, his skin a mottled gray and green color, laid on the bed, red scrubs replacing his normal clothes. He was attached to several monitors, and the sight of him unconscious and the beeping of the heart monitor fascinated her. 

She felt as though she were in a fog, and was somehow separated from her body. Her eyes were wide as she stared down at her most beloved friend… as she stared down at the man she loved. As terrifying as that love was, it was all-consuming and it gave her a reason to continue living. She bit down on her lip and forced herself not to cry, but failed. Tears silently slipped down her cheeks as she was forced to face the reality that her best friend might die before her very eyes. His bright life might be snuffed out, and she would be alone.

**XXX**

"So, you're saying that the Wraith and the Asurans have made a pact and are coming to destroy Atlantis?" Elizabeth Weir asked, looking at Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson incredulously. Out of all things that would categorize as 'terrible', this would be the worst. She leaned on the counter in Carter's lab and took a deep breath.

Lieutenant Colonel Carter nodded. "Yes. The Odyssey intercepted a message from the Wraith, and it was in a language we had never seen. I called Dr. Jackson to see if he could help us. He spent a couple days on it, and explained what he had discovered so far. We have a hang on the language, so the Odyssey will be staying in the Pegasus galaxy, hoping to find more messages."

Dr. Jackson sat down at Carter's computer and pulled the image up on a larger screen. "This is the message in its original form." It was a mess of symbols and marks that were so intricate that it made Weir's head ache. "And this…" He pressed a few buttons and brought up the translation. "Is what we believe it says."

Weir's eyes scanned over the words; they made absolutely no sense. "But…"

Daniel held up a hand and nodded. "Yeah, I know, it's in a code. Basically, the Replicators are offering a treaty to the Wraith if they help them destroy Atlantis."

Carter picked up where Daniel had paused momentarily to take a sip of his coffee. "We decided to bring this up with you once we had discovered it, and you came at the perfect time." Sam was a woman who knew when it was her right to give the orders, and this was not one of them. She knew how frustrated Weir had been with the IOA, and sought, even in a subtle way, to ease her load.

There were times when Elizabeth felt she could hug the other woman, and this was one of them. However, she refrained and settled for a grateful smile. "Thank you. Colonel, take this to General Landry and get a contingent of soldiers. We know very well that when the Wraith say they're going to come, they're going to come." She turned to Daniel when Carter left. "Dr. Jackson, are there are any specifics given?"

Daniel turned to look down at the computer screen, and then glanced back at Elizabeth. "No, unfortunately. I think the details had been discussed beforehand, and this is the go-ahead." He adjusted his glasses, and then stood up. "Do you know if you're allowed to go back yet?"

Elizabeth smiled wryly. "No, not yet. The IOA's still talking to General O'Neill."

Daniel winced. "I hope he doesn't tell them to blow it out of their… you know." He shook his head. "You know, he's a general now, and head of homeworld security. You'd think he'd learn some tact."

"But would he be General O'Neill with tact?" Dr. Weir asked the archaeologist.

He smiled and shook his head. "I suppose not." He opened the door to the lab and held it for Elizabeth. "Let's get something to eat while you're still grounded." He suggested.

"Thank you, Dr. Jackson." She smiled gratefully.

Together, they headed to the mess hall and sat down with their trays. Daniel got a new mug of coffee, and Elizabeth treated herself to a bottle of Vitamin Water that was so scarce on Atlantis, along with a sandwich that reminded her of Subway. Daniel, however, had already eaten, and sat across from her.

"Do you think that there's room for me on the Daedalus?" He asked hopefully.

"You think the SGC will spare you, their premier linguist and archaeologist?" She returned his question with another. "It would be wonderful to have you, Dr. Jackson, but I wouldn't be the one to break up SG-1."

"I suppose." He sighed. "It would be a dream. I didn't have nearly enough time when SG-1 came to the Pegasus galaxy."

Elizabeth smiled at him. She and Daniel had worked together, and in him, she found a kindred spirit. They were both so passionate about languages, though he knew several times the amount of languages she knew, and they both loved the idea of the Ancients. He was someone she would love to have on her team, but he was needed in the Milky Way, after all.

"Dr. Weir… Daniel." O'Neill greeted them as he approached their table.

"General, you're finished with the IOA?" She asked, surprised.

"Yeah." He drawled. "They thought it was best not to piss off the majority of those with enough security clearance to know what you do." 

Elizabeth smiled, relieved to hear such good news. She was aching to return to Atlantis and see how the search was going, and if they'd recovered John, Ronon and Makran. She knew she had her duties as leader, but she found time in between meetings to sit at his bedside when he was injured. 

Daniel looked up at O'Neill. "Did Sam talk to you?"

"Yeah." O'Neill stole Daniel's mug of coffee and took a deep draught as Daniel looked up, as if he was about to protest, and decided it wasn't worth it. "Pretty bad situation you've got there, Dr. Weir. You think the President would let me come along if it was under the pretense of overseeing some dangerous weapons being put onto the Atlantis base?" He asked the two.

Elizabeth shrugged, a teasing smile on her lips. "I suppose it's worth a try." 

"The President said no the last several times you asked to go on a mission." Daniel reminded his friend. "What makes you think he's going to spare you on what could be a deadly mission? Even if it is something as simple as walking through the Gate, standing around, and then walking back?"

"You know, Jackson," O'Neill began. "I don't like you very much right now."

Elizabeth smiled and stood up. "I'll leave you two for now." She grew grim as she thought about the threat that was hanging over her home's head. "Send us a message if you find anything else, Dr. Jackson."

"Sure." Daniel nodded, standing up to shake her hand. "Remember, if you need anyone more to stand up for you to the IOA… SG-1 really appreciates everything you do." He told her seriously as he clasped her hand.

Elizabeth was encouraged by his words and smiled. "Thank you, Dr. Jackson." She turned to General O'Neill and shook his hand. "Thank you, General. I dare say it won't be the last time you'll be saving my butt."

Jack shrugged. "No problem, Dr. Weir." He replied nonchalantly. "Hopefully, I'll be seeing you soon."

Weir shook her head, chuckling, and left the mess hall and walked to the control room where she met General Landry. 

"Ready to go home?" She nodded, and he turned to Walter. "Dial Atlantis." He turned to Elizabeth. "I'll be sending some men your way soon enough, along with Colonel Carter and Dr. Jackson. He'll be needed if you pick up any more messages. Good luck." She thanked him.

Within minutes, she was back in Atlantis, and Dr. Zelenka rushed down the stairs to speak to her. She looked confused, but remained silent as he began to explain.

"Colonel Sheppard, Ronon and Makran were found, but Colonel Sheppard was accidentally shot by Captain Leeds. Dr. Beckett had to operate, and Makran's in isolation because he seems to have contracted a disease from the Wraith, but Dr. Keller doesn't know what it is yet." He spoke rapidly, but Elizabeth had been around him long enough to understand everything he said. 

"Well, I seem to have some news as well." She stated, and took a deep breath to collect herself. "The Wraith and the Replicators seem to be tentative allies with each other, and are coming to attack Atlantis. Colonel Carter will be bringing us some soldiers, but we can be sure it's not going to be pretty." She looked at the Czech scientist. "Is Colonel Sheppard still in surgery?"

Dr. Zelenka shook his head. "No, I believe Dr. Beckett finished a few minutes ago."

"Thank you. Bring the long-range scanners up on the screen. I want them watched at all time to give us an idea of when our good friends the Wraith will be coming." She ordered as she went down the stairs to head towards the infirmary.

When Elizabeth reached the infirmary, she saw Colonel Sheppard immediately, and her eyes were only for him. Rodney had beaten her to his side, and she seemed to be in a haze of strange emotions she had never felt before. A knife of fear and pain was twisting in her stomach, and her hands were cold as she approached John's side and touched his arm. He looked up at her blearily through the drugs that were slowly leaving his system.

"Hello John." She murmured quietly. "You should stop doing this to us."

"Sorry, Elizabeth." He whispered, his lips forming a small smile.

"Hey, where were you?" Rodney asked. "We got back a couple hours ago."

She looked up at the Canadian. "The IOA wanted to have a conversation. Fortunately, General O'Neill had come to visit that day, and he managed to save me." Seeing as it was close to nighttime and there were few people in the infirmary out of respect for the colonel's condition, Elizabeth boldly slipped her hands around John's hand. "Rodney, please go to the control room. Zelenka needs to talk to you."

Rodney looked down at Elizabeth and John's hands, and then nodded. "Sure, yeah, I'll come back in a couple hours, see how he's doing. You should get some sleep, Elizabeth."

She smiled. "Thank you, Rodney." With that, he left, and she was pretty much alone.

John squeezed her hand weakly, and she looked down at him. Through the haze of drugs still floating through his bloodstream, she could see the guilt and emotional pain in his eyes. She tilted her head slightly, and gave him a small smile. She leaned forward a few inches so she could look into his eyes from where she sat. She was suddenly struck with the deep urge to press her lips to his. She had been so worried, so scared that he might be dead…

Tears sprang into her eyes and she tried to hold them back, but John was the only person she would cry in front of, and a few tears escaped. She wiped them away, taking one of her hands away from holding John's, and sniffed.

John looked up at her, helpless to move because of his wounds that he couldn't feel because of all of the drugs. His eyes burned with the need to comfort her, and he fought to speak. "Elizabeth…" He swallowed, though his throat was dry. "Don't… don't cry. You know I'm not good with crying women. Now, just women…" He trailed off, making her laugh.

"I'm well aware of that." She reminded him with a smile, lifting his hand up to kiss the back of it. "How are you feeling?"

"I can't feel anything." John complained quietly. He gave a tiny shrug. "Okay, I guess. Someone shot me."

"I heard. Captain Leeds? What happened there?" She asked, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. She paused before touching him, and then at his intent eyes, she settled her hand on his scalp, gently moving it back and forth.

John leaned into her touch as best he could. "He shot the Wraith queen's hand, and then shot the queen. I'm going to have to give that kid a lesson on how to shoot a damn gun." He sighed, and fell silent. It was uncomfortable to talk because he didn't know if it would hurt later. 

Noting his silence, Elizabeth moved from her chair and sat on the edge of his bed. Never before had she gotten so close to him since their time on the balcony, but after nearly losing him… it hurt her to be away from him, even the few inches physically. He shifted himself to give her more room, but she stopped him, content with the four inches of space. She continued to gently stroke his head.

"I thought I lost you again. I was terrified that you were going to be brought back here in a body bag. The idea of it…" She trailed off, closing her eyes as he leaned his head against the side of her body. She nearly jumped up when someone walked towards the rather isolated part of the infirmary, but she relaxed slightly when she saw it was Carson.

His adorable blue eyes lit up with a knowing glow when he saw Elizabeth perched on John's bed, and the colonel resting against her as best as he could. Elizabeth noted he looked ready to start skipping when he walked over and began to check over John. If her ears weren't messing with her, he was humming the "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" song. He smiled at her.

"Well, Elizabeth, the colonel here seems to be recovering fine. There, of course, are complications that will arise, but with… tender care, I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Carson, shut up." John mumbled as he closed his eyes.

Elizabeth blushed, and then stood up, reluctantly leaving the warmth of John's body. "How is Makran doing?" She asked, walking towards the doctor.

"I haven't had a chance to check up on him, but his sickness doesn't seem like something we've seen before. It might even be the plague that afflicted Kella two years ago." He sighed, his entire body from performing surgery and taking out a bullet from where it had buried itself in Sheppard's body. It had nearly broken through his back, and there had been some messy arteries that needed to be fixed. He was tired, but he had a critical patient to watch over, and he had blood work he needed to examine to determine what he could do to help the poor Kellan boy. "But I'm sure everything will turn out fine. You may stay here, Elizabeth, just don't pull on his stitches too much." He teased her.

She blushed a deeper red, and Sheppard noticed. "Leave her alone, Carson." He protested weakly. 

Carson smiled at Elizabeth, and he touched her shoulder. "I'll come back in half an hour. Remember to get some rest, Elizabeth." He quickly checked Sheppard's wound, and was pleased to see the state of his stitches, and then left.

Elizabeth settled down next to John again, and took his hand. She looked down at him. "Are you feeling alright?" She asked him once more.

"Yeah." He answered, but he knew she didn't believe him. "Really. Stop worrying Elizabeth." He eased himself up onto the pillows, and Elizabeth gently helped him up. "You worry about me, and you don't even know I worry about you." He looked down. "A lot." He admitted. It seemed another brush with death had brought him to a point of honesty with his own heart. "Elizabeth…"

Her eyes widened, wondering what it was he was going to say. She hoped it was… well, what any woman in love hoped to hear. She didn't have the time to wonder at the idea that she was in love, and placed a hand on his uninjured side. 

"John, you don't have to…" 

John shook his head. "I can't just… wonder at what might be between us anymore."

That stirring statement from someone who usually didn't talk at all about his emotions had Elizabeth shell-shocked, and for a moment, she couldn't find any words at all. 

**XXX**

Brian Leeds had been given a clean bill of health by that pretty Dr. Keller, and so he was wandering about Atlantis, wondering when Major Lorne or someone else would come to collect him, send him back to Earth, and court-martial his ass. The military had seemed like the only option when his dad had died, and there had been no hope or future in anything else for him, and to be kicked out or put into prison because of a terrible mistake was devastating to him. Not to mention the fact he didn't know how to deal with himself and his guilt. Why couldn't his hand have been steadier? Why hadn't he done more target practice? Why was he still nervous and erratic when he was in battle? 

He sighed as he walked back into the infirmary and headed to where the Kellan kid had been put into isolation. He expected Makran's girlfriend, Tallis, to be there, but he assumed Carson had gotten her to go rest, and he sighed. He was glad for the ability to be alone. It was so hard to breathe, just thinking about the fact he'd actually shot his commanding officer. It wasn't as though he had done it intentionally, but he still felt guilty. If Colonel Sheppard died… he didn't know what he would do.

Carson Beckett suddenly seemed to appear at his side, and Brian jumped. "Geez, doc, scared me there."

"Sorry, captain. I saw you pass by and I have to admit, I'm worried about you. Now, I heard what happened, and I know you feel as if it's your fault." Carson paused here to give the soldier a pat on the back. "But if you hadn't shot the Wraith queen, Colonel Sheppard would be dead. You saved his life."

Brian leaned on the railing and looked at the Scot. "You've never shot anyone, doc, and God, I hope you never have to. I just shot my commanding officer, and someone I really look up to. I could very easily killed him, and he's lying in there, half-dead because of me." Tears sprung in his eyes, and his throat closed up. "Is he…?"

Carson smiled sympathetically. "He's going to be fine, Brian. The surgery went very well. All of the damaged tissue was cleared, and unless the wound gets infected, he's going to be up and about soon enough. He'll be on active duty in two months, if he stays in bed."

"So, it'll be about four months?" Brian asked weakly, and Carson laughed. "Thanks, doc." He smiled gratefully, and Carson left him there.

The guilt hadn't been eased, but he definitely felt better. He smiled to himself, thanking God for Carson Beckett, and he looked down at Makran, and distracted himself with thinking how creepy it would be to have skin that grayish-greenish color.

**XXX**

Dr. Jackson blearily read through what he had translated of the Wraith message, yawning as he paused to take another drink from the hot coffee Vala had been so thoughtful to bring with her when she had come to visit him (well, not really, he'd stolen it from her when she sat on his lap). He suddenly realized that he'd been misinterpreting a key phrase, and fixed his mistake. He ran the message through the translating program again, and swore in Jaffa. He left his coffee and sprinted out the door to find Sam.

"Sam! Sam!" He skidded to a stop in front of her open lab.

Sam Carter looked up from where General O'Neill was perched in **her** chair, and smiled warily. "Daniel, what's wrong?"

Daniel swallowed. "Jack, Sam… we have a problem."


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own SGA or SG-1

**Disclaimer: I don't own SGA or SG-1.**

Tallis had been lured from the observation deck over Makran's isolation room, and felt much refreshed after a hot bath, eight hours of rest, and a plate of lasagna, her new favorite food. She had nothing else to occupy her time, so she brought a blanket and a book, and found herself a chair. She sat there for most of the hours of the day, watching over him and listening to the lullaby of the many monitors beeping. She left to use the bathroom and to eat. Most of the time, she brought a tray back with her so she would only have to leave for one meal.

She watched him lie there as Dr. Beckett walked into the room, dressed in an orange HazMat suit to check him over, as a precaution. She had asked him several times to be allowed to sit directly by him, but Dr. Beckett had denied her that. His reason for saying no was that they had never seen someone so affected after being near the Wraith, and he had his suspicions that it had to do with the Kellan physiology. They weren't taking any chances, and she understood that. But still. She hated being so far away from him. She wanted to hold his hand and talk to him, encouraging him to fight whatever disease was in his veins.

Something about the way he looked reminded her of the plague, and the thought brought her to tears once again. She had cried too much over the last couple of days that Ronon, Makran and Colonel Sheppard had been back, but it seemed her tears wouldn't stop.

Tallis made sure the door from the infirmary to the observation deck was closed, because she had a few things to say, and if she wanted anyone to hear her, it would be Makran only. She stood up and placed her book on the floor, keeping the blanket around her for precious warmth. She touched the glass and sighed, her breath fogging in.

"Makran… I don't understand you sometimes. You have told me many times you love me, but you won't allow me into your heart. You close yourself off from me, and we hardly spoke before the Wraith took you." She burned with anger at the evil aliens. "I want to know you better than I have ever known you." She whispered, pressing her fingers against the glass, as if she could reach through it. "I love you, Makran. I love you, I love you, I love you, and I thank you for being patient with my heart, until it reached to where yours has been for years."

Tears sprang in her eyes as she recalled his confessions of love for her. It had been awkward and strange for her, but now, she relished those memories, and they brought wonderful feelings to combat the despair she felt.

"I need you, Makran." She whispered tearfully as tears began to drip down her face. "I need you so much that I can hardly breathe when I cannot see you. And I'm scared." Her voice became shrill as she began to sob. "I'm scared, Makran, please, don't leave me. You need to stay with me because I'm too scared to live without you!" She pounded the palm of her hand against the glass helplessly, sliding down to her knees and sobbing painfully.

"And I'm so sorry that it took me so long to tell you that, I'm sorry that you loved me for so long and could never act on your love for me. I'm sorry that I was stubborn and forced you to stay away. I wasn't ready, and I was scared. I'm sorry that you could die, and you would never know how much I need you!" She sputtered out the words, and forced herself to continue. This was something she needed to let out of her heart and her mind, and she would say it as many times as Makran needed to wake up. "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you…" It became her eternal mantra as she sobbed the words.

The door opened, and she shoved herself to her feet, shameful of her tears. She wiped them away quickly as she looked up at Dr. Beckett, embarrassed. Her shoulders slumped, she felt incredibly foolish and overcome by her own feelings. She sniffled pathetically, and Carson looked at her with sympathy in his eyes, and she felt more cared for in that moment than she ever had. He took a few long strides to her, and hugged her gently.

Tallis hugged him back and buried her face in his shoulder, taking a deep breath of whatever cologne he put on. He reminded her of her father when he began to soothingly rub her back. She closed her eyes as her tears dried on his white lab coat and her heart slowed down. She calmed down as Carson silently held her in his fatherly embrace.

"Are you feeling any better, lass?" He asked quietly when he noted her trembling and tears had stopped.

"A little." She mumbled into his shoulder. "Thank you, Carson." She hadn't referred to him by his first name, but it seemed appropriate now because her fondness for him had grown because of his willingness to help her.

"Anytime, Tallis." He smiled as he held her at an arm's distance. "I think you should get some sleep and spend some time away from here. I hear Rodney has a few projects he's been trying to find a few hands for. Staying here will only torture you more." He offered her a handy tissue from an inside pocket, which she accepted.

"Alright." She nodded and wiped her eyes. "Thank you." She walked back into the infirmary and saw Dr. Weir sitting very close to Colonel Sheppard and smiled slightly.

Deciding to take Carson's advice, she left the infirmary, though it pained her to do so. She asked a few wandering technicians, and soon found her way to Dr. McKay's lab. He was bustling around, barking out orders, trying to save Atlantis. You know, the usual.

"Dr. McKay? Is there anything I can help with?" She caught his attention and hoped it wasn't too obvious that she'd been crying.

"Finally, someone who might actually be some help." He announced sarcastically, taking her by the elbow and dragging her over to a computer. "All I need you to do is put these numbers through this program," He handed her a small datapad with lists of series' of numbers, and then pointed to the computer screen. "Then delete all of the ones that do not work, and give it back to me when you're done. Don't take too much time."

Tallis nodded in understanding, and he was about to leave when he hesitated and gave her shoulder a small, awkward pat, his attempt to comfort her. She gave him a tiny smile, and he left, beginning to give out orders again. She turned to the numbers and began the mindless process of inputting and setting it through the simulation. She settled into a state where thoughts stopped and she merely went through the motions.

**XXX**

"Sir, could you tell me how you managed to get the President to let you leave when the Wraith and Replicators are bearing down on Atlantis?" Sam Carter asked as she supervised the move of several of her computers to help with the strategy to defend Atlantis. "Because I can understand SG-1 going, but you're the head of homeworld security."

Jack, dressed in green BDUs and out of his formal dress blues, shrugged, his hands in his pockets as he stood next to her. "I asked very, very nicely. I even said please, Carter." He looked down at her and smiled wryly.

Sam met his gaze, and then chuckled as she started out of her lab and down the hallway, Jack following behind her. Soon, they met up with Daniel, Vala and Teal'c, and all five continued towards the Gate room. Everything was ready to be sent through the Gate, save a few of Sam's computers.

'Everything' included a full company of soldiers to be formally led by Colonel Mitchell. He was giving them his usual pep talk in the Gate room as he waited for the others. There was also hundreds of pounds of munitions, new guns, artillery weaponry, and a few nuclear weapons that the defense department might be useful. 'Everything' was everything a base needed to fend off evil, life-sucking aliens and crazy machines.

General Landry met them on their way, and smiled at Carter. "I have a present for you, Colonel."

"What are you talking about, General?" She asked, confused.

"Area 51 has just called me, and told me the anti-Replicator weapon will be ready soon. " He explained as an airman opened the door to the Gate room for them.

Carter, relieved at the news, managed a smile. "Thank you, sir."

"Good luck." He nodded to them, and went to join Sergeant Harriman in the control room.

"So, what special kinds of souvenirs has Atlantis gotten in the last few years?" Vala asked as they waited for all of the chevrons to be locked.

Daniel looked down at her, shaking his head. "No, Vala."

Vala huffed in an adorable manner that made Daniel want to stare at her stupidly, but he didn't. She grinned as if she could read his thoughts, and he looked away, almost blushing. Sam and Jack weren't paying attention to the two as they had engaged into a conversation with Cameron, going over any last minute concerns. There was nothing more that could be done on the Earth side of the Gate, and when the wormhole was established, Jack took a step forward, and led SG-1 through the Gate, followed by the soldiers.

When they reached Atlantis, they were met by Rodney McKay and Radek Zelenka. The Czech scientist immediately went to the men pulling the boxes of munitions and other such goodies and led them to the temporary storage area that he, McKay, and Elizabeth had decided on. He began to take a preliminary inventory, but could have kissed the pretty female sergeant who handed him an inventory already completed.

Rodney clasped his hands behind his back as SG-1 came to a stop in front of him. "Well, it's about time you got here." He was never one for pleasantries, after all. He led them up to the control room and stood in front of the screens where several Wraith Hive ships could be seen, along with a few Asuran warships. "I've recalibrated our long-range sensors to be, well, even more long-range, and we've picked up the fleet coming our way."

It was then that Daniel butted in. "Dr. McKay… I hate to interrupt, but I retranslated the message because I realized their entire sentence structure wasn't even like Goa'uld, which I had first assumed, considering several of the words were similar…" Jack coughed, and then he rushed to the end of his linguist rant. "There are two fleets coming. Half of the Asuran and Wraith fleet is what you see. Sam, could you?"

Sam walked to the computer, and pulled the long-range sensors from where they were focused to the opposite end of their reach. There, just beginning to appear on the scanners, was the other half of the fleet. Rodney was too shell-shocked to say anything for a short moment.

"And we have three months until the first wave hits us, and two weeks until the second half joins them." He stated as his final verdict.

Rodney's mind was moving at a million thoughts a minute. "Oh crap, we are so screwed." He announced, looking at SG-1.

Mitchell shook his head. "Not so fast, McKay. We brought the best of the best with us, along with supplies and weapons. The Daedalus and Odyssey both have their power sources that we can use to bolster the shields and the city's weapons."

Rodney sighed, and had to lean against the railing to collect himself. Sure, they'd been in bad spots before, but nothing like this. They had never seemed so entirely screwed. "We'll need the Odyssey and the Daedalus in space fighting, so, no. Sheppard just had to get shot, didn't he?" He grumbled.

"Wait, what?" Daniel asked. He hadn't heard that piece of news, especially since he'd been holed up in his office, translating the little slice of heaven that had gotten them into this predicament.

"Yeah, what?" Jack couldn't help but echo Daniel's sentiments.

Rodney looked confused, and then nodded. "Oh, yeah, it's not the weekly check-in yet, you guys wouldn't know…" He trailed off to collect his thoughts for a second, and then spoke once more. "Sheppard, Ronon and Makran from Kella were recovered from a Hive ship, and in an attempt to kill the Wraith queen that was feeding on Sheppard, one of his men accidentally shot him. He's recovering."

SG-1 was silent for a long while, but in the end, Carter and McKay went off, spouting technobabble that none of the others could ever hope to understand. Mitchell went to see how his men were settling in, and Daniel and Vala went towards the mess hall, followed by Teal'c, who had been silent through the entire conversation, adhering to his belief that one did not have to speak.

Jack, despite the fact his primary objective was to oversee the transfer of the goods and to make sure everyone was settling in, as well as the military protocol on the base was up to par, decided to put off his duties for a while, and go to visit Sheppard in the infirmary. The man was probably bored out of his mind if he wasn't drugged into oblivion, and the two men got on exceedingly well. They were both sarcastic, and oddly attracted to women they couldn't have. Please, Jack was getting on in years, but he wasn't stupid. He could tell that John really liked Elizabeth, and she liked him too. It was basic mind-reading, which he happened to be very skilled at.

**XXX**

Captain Leeds, after a good work out with Ronon, was still guilt-ridden. He had never been particularly close with the Satedan, but men came back from sessions with him beat up, bruised and sore. He needed a beating to get his head in order, and he thought it would help. Now, with a black eye and a bruise from his actual ass-kicking, he was wondering how that stupid thought could have ever passed through his mind. He considered himself a rather intelligent person. Obviously not.

He limped towards his quarters, intent on getting a hot shower and changing his sweaty clothes. A few of his fellow soldiers gave him sympathetic looks. The majority only laughed at him, and he glared good-naturedly. He wasn't the best at marksmanship or hand-to-hand fighting, especially with some of the lot that was around on Atlantis, but shoot him if he couldn't blow something up spectacularly. Well, Cadman was the only one who was better at him than that, but she was really hot, so he forgave her. So, that was his basic purpose of being on Atlantis. He blew stuff up on Major Lorne's team. It was fun, and that was what he did. He was going to miss being able to legally blow buildings and other stuff up.

He limped by the mess hall, and then beamed when he snagged the last bottle of purple Gatorade. He sneered at some poor airman who had nearly dove over several tables to get it, and helped the other man up. He twisted the cap off and tossed it into a garbage can as he continued to limp back to his room. It sucked that the gym was pretty far away from his room, and he liked going to the gym.

He turned his head to the left as he surveyed the beautiful ocean out of the windows as he kept walking, and then slammed into something. He had a passing thought that he should stop running into things, and then forced himself not to swear loudly when he saw what he had run into. Why couldn't he run into Laura Cadman now and then? No, it always had to be people who had a reason to throw his ass in jail. Not that he'd ever stolen someone's wallet and almost gotten thrown in jail if he hadn't cracked, nearly cried and given it back…

He straightened up, almost groaning when his butt bruise ached at the movement, and snapped into a smart salute. He kept as straight as a rail as he stood in front of Brigadier General Jack O'Neill of SG-1 fame. "Sorry for running into you, sir! That was completely my fault, sir! Should have been watching, sir!" He tried to keep himself composed and not freak out.

"So…" General O'Neill drawled as he crossed his arms and walked around the Air Force captain. There was no one else nearby, so there was no one to witness his demise. He supposed it was better this way. "I hear you shot your commanding officer. Want to tell me about it?"

Brian's face contorted into an expression of pain that didn't have everything to do with his bruise. His head dropped slightly, but he kept as straight as he could out of respect. "I saw the queen feeding on him, sir, and I panicked. I shot through the queen's hand, and then realized how terrible my aim had been, and shot the queen, sir."

O'Neill stopped in front of Brian and kept an iron face. "You realize that it would be only so right and good of me to send you back to Earth and have you court-martialed so that you'd never see the light of day for shooting your commanding officer, right?" He asked.

Captain Leeds was beyond intimidated by General O'Neill. Brian had heard stories of SG-1 and all that they'd gone through when he'd been stationed at the SGC, and he'd always hero-worshipped the man. Now, he was going to be thrown out of the Air Force by his hero. This just sucked. He sighed.

"Yes, sir." Brian nodded, and bit his lip nervously. He had advanced through the ranks quickly, and was already a captain, but he still felt like a little airman, even when he was around a familiar officer like Colonel Sheppard. "Should I go pack my stuff, sir?"

O'Neill raised his eyebrows. "Did I say I was going to have you court-martialed?"

"No, sir…" Brian dared to hope that maybe, for some odd, stupid reason, he would be pardoned, or at least, not sent home.

"Come on, Captain. It's not my style to make quick judgments. I believe we should talk to Colonel Sheppard and he'll decide what to do with you." General O'Neill decided with a slight smile, his brown eyes betraying how non-threatening he really was. He had heard the full story from both Major Lorne and Dr. McKay, and while yes, technically, Captain Leeds should have been court-martialed no matter the circumstances, O'Neill knew that these circumstances were far out of the ordinary. He was sure he could get the IOA to agree with him on the grounds that saving one's commanding officer from a life-sucking alien, even if the commanding officer is injured, wasn't really covered in the regulations.

"Thank you, sir." Brian said thankfully.

O'Neill nodded and started walking towards the infirmary, though his strides were shorter and slower. He knew the signs of getting beaten up by a large, colorful alien, and pitied the young man.

They reached the infirmary quickly, and didn't have to ask where Sheppard was. They heard him arguing with Dr. Beckett immediately.

"For the last time, colonel, no, I won't dial back the drugs. I know it's frustrating, but you just got major surgery two days ago, and it will be very, very painful." Dr. Beckett explained calmly, not taking the colonel's bait.

"But…" Sheppard was about to continue bickering, but then spotted his two fellow soldiers coming his way. "General," He attempted a salute. "Captain." He nodded to the blond bombs specialist.

"At ease, colonel." O'Neill drawled. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess." He gave a one-shoulder shrug. "It's kind of nice to just get to relax."

O'Neill nodded, and then gestured to Brian. "I brought this one because I hear he's committed a nice offense that could get him thrown into prison. Since you're the one he kind of shot, I thought it would be up to you to decide what to do with him." He paused. "He did shoot you, after all."

Leeds didn't know where to look, up at the general, or down at the colonel. Without those as options, he suddenly found his shoes very interesting. There was a nice tear forming on the left toe, and his right shoe's laces really needed to be replaced, but they were just his running shoes, so he saw no point.

Sheppard smirked when he saw how freaked out Brian was. Even though he felt wretched because he was so hopped up on drugs for his pain, he didn't blame the guy for doing what he did. He was really glad because if Brian hadn't acted so quickly, he'd probably be looking about forty-five, instead of forty-three. He couldn't believe there were actually gray flecks in his hair.

"Captain Leeds!" He barked as powerfully as he could.

Leeds shot up into an attention stance. "Yes, sir!" He saluted.

Sheppard grinned. "Don't worry about it. I would have done the same thing, and I should be thanking you for saving my life."

Brian stared down at his commanding officer. "Are you serious? You're not court-martialing me? Really?"

Sheppard nodded as best he could. "Yeah. You're a good soldier, and a good man. I'm not much of a stickler for rules, anyway." His smile faded away as Brian looked fit to cry out of relief. He could imagine the captain had been stressing over the last couple of days. "Dismissed, Captain. Get some rest. Did you let Ronon have at you?"

"Yeah." Leeds admitted with a half-grin.

Sheppard sighed. "Dismissed." He said again, rolling his eyes at the thought of Ronon smashing the smaller man into a bloody and bruised pulp.

Brian, however, was snared into a physical from Dr. Beckett, who immediately began chastising him for getting so hurt.

Sheppard looked up at O'Neill. "I think you freaked him out a little, sir."

"I do what I can, Sheppard." Jack smirked slightly, and then gave John's uninjured side a pat. "Beckett been treating you well?"

"Yeah." He pushed himself up slightly. "Elizabeth's even been working on her bedside manner."

"Really?" Jack asked, interested at the soft smile on John's face. It was the same one that came up on his ragged features when Carter admitted she needed him and let him comfort her. It was obvious, and there were even bets going on about when the two would start sleeping together at the SGC.

"Yeah." John answered evasively, but he couldn't hide how he brightened when Elizabeth walked into the infirmary and walked towards him.

O'Neill smirked, and then turned to Weir. "Hello, doctor, glad to see everything's going well around here. I'll leave you two to talk. I have to make sure Carter doesn't blow YOUR sun up."

Elizabeth smiled at the general, but focused all of her attention on John when O'Neill was gone. She kept her distance, seeing as there were a couple of patients in the infirmary, though not around. However, she couldn't resist taking his hand and taking a deep breath. After he'd admitted that he couldn't just wonder at what they were to each other, she had been called away to the control room, and hadn't been able to see him again until this moment. She looked at him, and swallowed.

"Okay, John," She started off softly. She stopped herself, and she couldn't say what she needed to while looking at him. She dropped her gaze to their joined hands, and started again. "John, I don't know what to say to you. I've wondered about… us… for a long time, and," He promptly cut her off.

"Elizabeth," He stunned her into silence. When she had imagined explaining herself, she had never imagined him interrupting her. "Listen, if you don't want to take the huge career risk that would come from being with me, that's fine. You are a brilliant leader and diplomat, and I understand. Just tell me right now."

"No, that's not it!" She protested.

"Then tell me what it is." He fairly begged her. "Let me fix whatever it is wrong about me, or what I do. Let me say the right things, and do all of the right things."

"No, no." Elizabeth shook her head. "I like you, a lot more than I've ever been willing to admit about someone. I'm just…" She trailed off, and John saw his chance.

He held her face in his hands, his touch a soothing balm which seemed to have narcotic properties. Their gazes locked, and he was lost to the real world. He was a willing prisoner in whatever reality had been thrust into when he stared into her eyes. By another's will, or his unconscious one that led him when his conscious mind had been shut down, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. She flinched slightly, but did not move, and he placed his lips firmly on hers.

When she had responded, pressing back against him, he reached up with his right hand and weaved his fingers through her silky hair. He pulled her downwards and lifted his head to press his lips to hers. Her heart was thudding in her throat, and a few heated seconds passed, and he slowly let her go. She couldn't find the strength to completely sit up, and she remained bent over his face.

"So, do you want to be with me or not?" He asked in a strangled whisper. She knew how hard it was for him to talk about his feelings, and it seemed she was the one thing that brought out his strongest emotions. That thought was the most touching thing she had ever experienced. "Just… give us a shot, that's all I'm asking."

Elizabeth stared into his green-hazel eyes and furrowed her eyebrows, thinking deeply. She supposed she was enough career risk to herself, and that being with him couldn't possibly do any more damage. He had proved time and time again to be a faithful friend, and he understood her. They worked as a great team, but that was professionally. She was so scared of the idea, but she decided to go with the warmth that was pooling in her stomach when she realized she could still taste him on her lips.

"Okay." She nodded, a small smile forming on her face. "Okay, John." She found his hand again, and they were content to be silent for a long time.

**Hope I didn't mess up the Sparky scene too badly! Review.**


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own SGA or SG-1

**Disclaimer: I don't own SGA or SG-1.**

Dr. Beckett analyzed the latest blood work he had taken from his near-comatose patient, Makran of Kella, attempting to pick apart the pathogen that had infected Makran. He could only assume the Kellans had been protected from the Wraith for so long that their immune systems had, for some reason, lost their ability to protect them. He had noticed an odd smell around the Wraith, but it had never had lasting damage on his patients, so he had never…

Carson sighed, tilting his head down so he could lean his forehead against his microscope. As far as he knew, this disease was acting like a virus with a mission. It was inhibiting Makran's cells from spreading, catching them before they moved past interphase, during mitosis. From what he'd learned so far, this virus stopped Makran's cells from healing his body, and it was causing his body to break down. Already, he was coughing up blood, and was vomiting regularly. His skin was flaking and his blood had taken on a gooey texture and the vibrant red of oxygen was mottled with green and grey.

Carson quickly consulted a medical text he kept handy, and then found a notepad and quickly scribbled down his plan. There were drugs he could administer to bolster the boy's immune system, and he would get his entire scientific/medical team on a cure, to dismantle the disease so Makran's cells would reproduce. That seemed to be the only problem. Carson supposed, and hoped and prayed, that if the impediment to Makran's body's natural processes was removed, the symptoms would disappear, and he would recover. He quickly wrote down five different prescriptions and stood up, rubbing his eyes. It was about five o'clock in the morning, but he had work to do. As usual, sleep could wait.

**XXX**

For the last three days that SG-1 and their military contingent had been in Atlantis, Rodney had spent as much time as possible briefing General O'Neill, Colonels Carter and Mitchell, Teal'c, Vala and Dr. Jackson on their situation; defensive measures, weapons, the specifics of the shield and iris, even down to the amount of drones on each individual puddlejumper. Rodney had several computers in the conference room set up, and he referred to the screen as he spoke. The last few days had been a continuous monologue, but if there was something in his knowledge of Atlantis that could save them all, the toll it was taking on his voice and body would be worth it.

"Rodney, do you think it's possible, with some tinkering around, that we could increase the velocity of the drones' impact?" Colonel Carter asked as she pulled up a 3D image of her plan.

Rodney glanced at it, and then did some complicated equations in his head, triple-checking the work she had done, and then nodded. He wasn't in the mood for arguing or attempting to prove himself the smarter one, so he merely tapped his radio. "Zelenka, get a couple of scientists in here. We might have something."

He continued on, pulling up a basic blueprint of Atlantis. "Now, we know the shield covers the entire city, along with some surrounding ocean, but in the event of an attack, I have created a program that will shrink the shield's size." He pressed a key on his laptop, and the blueprint's shield shrunk to cover the control tower and a few of the surrounding towers. "But, I think if worse comes to worse, this could save us."

Daniel nodded. "Yeah… I mean, I'm no expert, but if I understand it, the shield's smaller, and covers less area, but it would hold for much longer." He raised his eyebrows. "That's… that's brilliant." He looked undoubtedly impressed. He usually was around scientific types. He loved his work, but usually, it came down to people like Sam and Rodney when the world was going to end.

"Thank you." Rodney smirk was smug, but he quickly moved on. He wasn't about to admit it, but his hands just couldn't stop shaking. He hadn't slept for the past two days, and hadn't eaten for the past day. He was hungry, but this was just too important. He blinked away his tiredness and moved to his next problem. "General O'Neill, do you know where you'll be placing your soldiers?"

Jack looked up from his hard copy of McKay's plans. "Three artillery units on each pier, and several groups of soldiers with guns at the top of all towers." He responded easily, having been planning such a defense for months. Just in case.

"Would not the projectile weapons be ineffective against Replicator and Wraith ships, O'Neill?' Teal'c asked calmly.

"Well, what about those fancy weapons? The ARGs?" Vala pointed out, glancing at Sam.

"The ARGs won't be ready for a few more weeks, if not months." Sam replied, rubbing the back of her neck, stressed. "We'll just have to be ready to fight with what we have."

Colonel Mitchell leaned back in his chair. "What're we going to do with the Odyssey and Daedalus?"

McKay stood still for a moment, stunned by the question. He blinked, noting that he really needed some sleep, and then bent over his laptop. Clicking on a few files, he brought up his overall plan, and scanned it quickly. He nodded to himself, and then turned to Mitchell. "They'll be providing our first offense, and last defense. If they are damaged to the point of being a hindrance, they'll land under the shield. The crews will work on the ships, and we'll have to start fighting."

"I suppose having a ZPM would be really helpful right now." Vala remarked casually.

McKay looked at her distastefully. "One would think so."

"McKay." Carter reprimanded him. "Is that all you have for us now?" She asked, bringing the focus back on the topic.

Rodney nodded, already back to work, typing away at his computer. Most of SG-1 filed out, but Sam lingered behind. She patted Rodney's back and smiled slightly at him. "McKay, get some rest." She told him gently, and left.

He watched her leave, a slightly confused, but very pleased look on his face. His encouraged face fell when he realized that he had a lot of work to do, and found himself a chair, resigning himself to his task. If he was malnourished and thoroughly sleep-deprived to the point of needing a stimulant every hour, but they were alive, then it was worth it.

**XXX**

Sam found Jack in his makeshift office, going over the personnel lists for both Atlantis and Earth, along with a list of recommendations for new recruits from several of his general friends. They would need the best of the best to defend Atlantis, and he was determined to find those 'best of the best' people, but his concentration faltered when he heard the door open and his second-in-command stepped in.

"What do you need, Carter?" He asked, setting down his pen in a subtle sign that she was more than welcome to distract him whenever she wanted to.

She noted the pen-drop and took a seat, tense and stressed out. Her eyebrows were furrowed together, and her shoulders were about to climb into her ears. Her hands were clasped together, fingers squeezing each other, and she did not look as though she had gotten much sleep since she had arrived. She pursed her lips together and raised her eyes to meet Jack's concerned brown ones.

"I've got McKay, Zelenka and their science staff on any way to boost Atlantis' shields and weapons. We're scouting out several alpha and beta sites, and the Genii have promised to give us shelter, but I don't want to have to rely on someone like Ladon Radim, and I've got a meeting planned with Teyla and Halling to give them the facts to give to their people, and I'm on my way to talk to Major Lorne about starting to bring the Athosians here." She reported tensely.

Jack nodded to her, and gave her a half-smile. "Good. Thank you, Carter." He paused as he examined her face to decide if it was necessary to add anything. "What's eating you, Carter? You look about to collapse, and I'd order you to go sleep, but I can't."

Because of the nature of the President's order, even though Jack was technically Sam's superior officer, he was still the head of Homeworld Security, and he only reported to the President and the Joint Chiefs, and was, therefore, somewhat of an anomaly in the military at the moment. Sam reported to Cameron Mitchell, and he to her because of their equal ranks. Therefore, Jack was not Sam's commanding officer, and both seemed acutely aware of that. There was no way the burning of his eyes could be anything but knowledge that she could be his if he would take the chance.

"I'm exhausted of the world threatening to end at every turn." She admitted quietly. SG-1's brilliant scientist was finally confessing to herself and to someone who would understand that she was tired of constant work. She loved what she did, but she needed a break, but there was never a chance. "And now this! The Replicators and the Wraith? Two of the worst enemies mankind has ever known teaming up to destroy us. Jack…" She whispered his name. "I don't know how we're going to pull this one off."

She ran her fingers through her short hair and huffed. "And its not that I don't want to have hope because I know we have an amazing knack for doing the impossible, but seriously, the odds are not in our favor." 

Jack gave her a half-smile. "Carter, you know how I feel about odds. They're just a bunch of numbers that don't mean a thing in the end because we, you and me, Carter, we tend to defy every expectation."

His statement lingered in the air like the scent of summer, drawing their spirits together and upwards. Their eyes met and Sam couldn't help the way her stomach seemed to tighten at the mere sight of him. It had been so many years, but he was still so handsome. She had no idea, but he was wondering at the same thing: how she could be so beautiful even when the world was ending.

Sam smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you… Jack." For a long moment, they smiled at each other and watched each other's face.

Jack stood up, and went to plop down in the seat next to her, tired of sitting across a desk from her. When he looked at her once again, though, he found it was difficult to resist temptation. She had bags underneath her eyes, she had the two days' hike scent that clung to any SG-1 member when they hadn't slept for a few days, and she was clad in baggy BDUs that did nothing for her figure, but all he could see was her, and she was beautiful to him.

He leaned in, and on a whim, kissed her cheek briefly. He pulled away to look into her eyes. "When all of this is over, I need to take you fishing." He decided, and the funny thing was that he could spend hours sitting next to her, fishing in a lake with no fish, and find nothing wrong with the world, and he hoped she felt the same way.

He couldn't have been more rewarded when she smiled and nodded, slightly blushing. "Okay, sir." She dropped into the old familiarity, but he found nothing wrong with it. If she wasn't comfortable with names, then she didn't have to say his name.

Kinky, though. Very kinky.

**XXX**

John was miserable. He hated being confined to the infirmary because there was nothing to do. Sure, on one hand, it was always good to get updated on paperwork, do his evaluations and get completely caught up. That was a good thing. But sitting around in the same spot for hours on end wasn't fun at all. He was bored out of his mind, and even the games on his laptop couldn't keep him amused for long. Because of the Asuran-Wraith attack looming over their heads, Elizabeth had been pulled from his side to do her job, and he missed her.

Heh. He did miss her a lot. It was weird, now that it was all so official (though still a bit of a secret, unless Carson told, in which case the Scotsman was dead), he found himself feeling more acutely his emotions for her. He missed her, and when he saw her, the world completely lit up. It was very cheesy, but there was nothing wrong with cheese. He, in fact, could go for a good cheeseburger at the moment.

Mmm. Cheeseburger.

Anyway, he found himself doodling mindlessly on a scrap piece of paper, having exhausted the fun of annoying and flirting with the nurses. It had worked for a while when they had first come to Atlantis, but since then, they had learned his dastardly ways and put a stop to him getting what he wanted. It kind of sucked, to be honest.

He nearly grinned when Carson walked into the room. "Hey, doc! Say, when can I get out of here?"

The Scot shook his head. "Not now, colonel, and likely, not within several weeks, at least. You had intensive surgery not a week ago, and though you have been given many drugs for your pain, you are still at risk."

John sighed and accepted his fate. He simply hated lying there in the infirmary when there was probably something he could be doing to help out. "So, how's Makran?"

"I've been running tests, and I have my entire medical staff attempting to create an antidote for whatever exposure to the Wraith has done to him. His cells won't reproduce, and if they can't reproduce, they can't make what his body needs to fight off this. His symptoms are getting worse, and he's just gone into a coma." Dr. Beckett explained with a sigh. "But I'm confident if I can find out exactly what is stopping his body from its natural processes, I can find out how to stop it and cure him." He stated with a bit of his usual Scottish fire, and went about checking John's vitals.

"So he's going to be okay?" John asked. He was never one for being touchy-feely, but the kid had somehow gotten most everyone he came into contact with to respect him, though he was barely old enough to be a cadet. John even respected him, and everyone on Atlantis wanted him to get better. Human compassion and all that.

"Of course, colonel." Carson wasn't about to allow himself to believe anything different. "And I'll leave you to get some rest. Teyla said she would drop in later after speaking to Colonel Carter, and I'm sure Elizabeth will manage to find time to see you." He grinned at the thought.

"Great." John replied blandly as Carson's grin grew. John knew that Carson had known about their feelings for each other longer than he or Elizabeth had been aware of them; Carson was just like that. But it was still weird for someone to be happy about their relationship. It had seemed taboo for so long, and so off-limits, that he honestly didn't know what to do, now that they were together, and he was so completely hers.

True to Carson's word, Elizabeth stepped over the threshold into the infirmary not an hour later. He brightened and used the little remote near his hand to make the top half of the bed rise up. His smile was evidently infectious because her exhausted features morphed into a look of relief and joy, and she sat in the chair next to John's bed.

"Hi there." He greeted her, still smiling. He reached for her and slowly brought her close for a brief kiss. She blushed briefly. "What?" He asked.

"I'm sorry. It's still so odd to kiss you in front of people." Her voice dropped to a soft murmur. "I've thought of it so much, but to actually…"

His smile turned smug, and she laughed at him. "Arrogant, are we?" She asked flirtatiously, leaning back in her seat.

"Well, Elizabeth, you've seen me lately, haven't you?" He shrugged slightly, smirking. The moment held its humor, and then faded, leaving the seriousness of the situation behind. "How long until the Replicators and Wraith get here?"

She sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. "Two months, and three weeks." She answered grimly. "I don't know how we'll be ready in time. SG-1 is quickly formulating their plans and stationing men in their places, and the SGC has been sending a few more SG teams to help out, but I don't think we can fend them off." She admitted quietly.

If there was one thing about their relationship that stuck out to Elizabeth, it was the fact she could be honest with him, and he her. That had been the nature of their strong friendship, neither of them were afraid to call the other out, and it transferred into their romantic relationship, which was still budding. Neither of them had the best time, the seemingly end of the world looming over their heads and all, but the thought of him helped her to work hard and quickly, and the thought of her helped his urges to escape the infirmary for a little freedom.

"We're going to be okay, Elizabeth." He decided quietly, reaching for her hand. "I know you're working yourself to death, and everyone will be grateful when we've won the day. We're going to be fine."

Elizabeth nodded, attempting to believe him. It was difficult because there were so many problems that kept popping up. Most problems were small (a few soldiers had been messing around, and one of their ankles had been broken, and one of McKay's laptops had accidentally exploded), but cumulatively, it was enough weight to make her mind slowly melt under the pressure. She rubbed her temples, and John gave her a wry smile.

She looked at him, and couldn't repress a small smile. "Thank you, John."

"For what?" He queried, giving her an offhanded smile as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"You're so good at making me feel better." She told him with a soft smile, a tender look in her eyes.

He returned the smile, and shrugged. "Well, I am the boyfriend now. Kind of my job."

Maybe it was his simple words that so succinctly summed up how he felt about her (she could easily read what he meant): He cared about her, and she had decided to let him in, and he was determined not to mess up his chance with her, and he was dead set on helping her through her troubles. Maybe it was the tender look in his eyes when he looked at her. Maybe it was something completely different, but after he spoke, she couldn't help herself from planting a gentle kiss on his lips.

She began to pull away, but John's hand had found its way into her hair, and held her in place, and they kissed for a few more seconds. When they finally pulled away, she sat back down on the chair, content to sit and hold his hand. She sighed when her radio crackled to life.

"_Dr. Weir, it's Daniel." _

She tapped her radio. "Go ahead, Dr. Jackson." She shook her head when John looked at her questioningly.

"_Jack and Dr. McKay were working together, going through some systems through the chair, and… well, according to them… the city might be broken, for lack of a better word."_

Elizabeth's face took on a horrified expression. "What do you mean, broken?"

"_Well, either the chair has somehow been disconnected from the systems, or it won't respond to the Ancient gene. McKay already tried it himself, as did a few technicians with the gene. I think you might want to come down here."_

Elizabeth sighed, and then gave John's hand a squeeze as she stood up. "Very well, Dr. Jackson. Call Colonel Carter and Dr. Zelenka; they might be able to help. I'll be down there in a few minutes." She turned to John, an apologetic look on her face.

"Before you say anything, don't worry about it. I'm not just any guy, Elizabeth. I'm not going to be disappointed because you have to work, or have to leave early. We've worked together for a couple years, and we both know how this sort of business goes." John reminded her. "If you have to go, go. I don't mind. Just… come back to me." His voice lost some of its strength and reassurance, and Elizabeth caught a rare glimpse of the real John Sheppard.

He was terrified of losing her, his one last link of love. He was scared, plain and simple. Her features softened, and she leaned down to hug him, and kiss his cheek. "I always will, John. I promise." She whispered in his ear, and he kissed the corner of her mouth.

With those words, she turned around and went to deal with whatever problem had arisen.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own SGA or SG-1

**Disclaimer: I don't own SGA or SG-1.**

Jack crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Dr. McKay snap at a poor technician who was simply attempting to help the physicist in examining the chair's control crystals. Honestly, McKay was possibly the worst person under stress. Carter had this amazing ability to be calm and controlled under pressure, and speaking of Carter… he nearly daydreamed about her until she walked in the door, professional and in control.

"Okay. McKay, what have you found out so far?" She asked, walking to stand by McKay, giving Jack a secret, soft look that was all the greeting he needed.

Rodney straightened up from his kneeling position to face her. "Ah, Sam, there you are. I've checked the power crystals and its connection to the rest of Atlantis, and absolutely nothing is wrong."

"What are you talking about?" Sam queried. "It's not working."

"That's not what I meant." He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I can't find anything that's out of place. The General sat down, and he could make the chair light up, but beyond that, nothing. He couldn't access any of the systems."

Sam nodded, understanding what he was saying. She picked up the data screen which had been attached to the control crystals and went over the energy readings, and examined the graph that tracked the energy spikes when no one sat in the chair, and when someone with the gene occupied the chair. It was making no sense.

"General, could you sit down for a minute?" She asked him absently, her eyes glued to the data screen.

Jack raised his eyebrows. "You know all of this sitting and standing nonsense is hell on my knees." He commented as he sat down and leaned back.

"I know." Sam smiled at him for a moment, and then looked back at the screen. "I don't understand these readings. By this, the energy the chair is putting off is indicating that you should be accessing the Ancient database."

"Maybe it's a psychological thing." Jack suggested with a shrug. "I've never really had a great track record with Ancients and databases." He pointed out.

Carter shook her head. "No, I don't think that's it."

"No, wait, Sam. It's a viable point." McKay interrupted. "I mean, there was this one time with an Ancient personal shield…"

Sam looked confused, and then nodded, a smirk gracing her face. "Oh yeah, I read that report." She couldn't help the little giggle that escaped her lips.

"Ah!" Jack pointed at her. "No giggling, Colonel."

She looked over her shoulder at him, and he gave her a quick wink that made her insides warm. However, the feelings were cut off when Dr. Weir entered the room, and even then, it was difficult to swallow her smile. Elizabeth, a normally fair-skinned woman, had a light blush still on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Weir, did we interrupt you?" Jack asked innocently.

Elizabeth flushed again, but gave the general a pointed look. "Not at all, General. Colonel, Rodney, what do we know?"

"Nothing." Rodney spat as he took the data screen. "It's as though Atlantis responds only superficially to just anyone with the gene, but won't let them in. I don't get this; it always worked when Sheppard sat down."

Silence reigned in the room for a moment, and everyone stared at McKay. He cocked his head slightly, nervous. "What?"

"I think that might be it, McKay." Carter stated. "Several people who have worked here have mentioned that, at times, Atlantis seems like its own entity. The Ancients don't create just computers, I mean, look at what happened to the general two times. He had their entire database downloaded into his mind because it sensed his genes. I don't think we should underestimate the abilities of the Ancients."

"What, the building's a living thing, Carter?" Jack sounded skeptical, which he was.

"Well, not exactly living." Sam shook her head slightly. "But more sentient than a mere machine." She attempted to explain, and looked at McKay helplessly.

"No, I think she's on to something." He set the data screen down. "Atlantis always seemed to like Sheppard better than the rest of us. Maybe she… it, whatever, senses that he's the protector of the city, and will only let him… protect it?"

Jack sat up and pushed himself out of the chair, and the light dimmed. He crossed his arms over his chest and went to stand next to Sam. "While I'm absolutely excited we're examining whether or not Atlantis is alive, what's this got to do with anything?"

"Well, sir," Sam began. "Colonel Sheppard is injured, and even though his wound might be healed by the time the Wraith get here, I doubt Dr. Beckett will allow him back on active duty. I was planning to put him on the list of those sent back to the SGC. If he's the only one who can access Atlantis' drones and systems…"

"Let's just say the battle would not last long." McKay finished for her. "We need the drones, but Sheppard's injured badly. Beckett says he's healing well, and healing quickly, but still. He has less than three months to be in perfect condition."

"Colonel Sheppard will want to help fight. He will not leave." Dr. Weir added. "Even if he's still injured."

Jack nodded, solemn. "I'll talk to him, if you don't mind. The decision's his, and if Atlantis will only listen to him, as you say, then we'll need him." He met Elizabeth's eyes, and waited for her reaction.

She nodded, though it pained her to do so. It was hard to see John's bandages around his waist, and to know that he had come too close to death again, but giving him only two months to get better from a gunshot wound? She already knew what he would do and say. He would choose to stay and fight, however he might be able to. He would rather die on the chair, ordering drones to attack the Wraith, than be safe in the SGC while Atlantis was being attacked. That was who he was, and she respected that, but it was still hard.

"But we can't just wait until the battle to see if it's actually just Colonel Sheppard." Carter said, kneeling down to examine the crystals. "It could just be the crystals."

"I already told you, Sam, I checked them and nothing's wrong. They're in perfect condition." Rodney's voice was as arrogant as usual, and it irked Sam.

"McKay, just let me look, alright?" Sam looked up at him, half-glaring at him. He was annoying, and she knew he meant well, and he simply had a problem with always wanting to be right. She could be that way as well, but she was less obvious about it.

"Fine. You won't find anything." He turned around, and started out of the room. "I have a few programs on my laptop that might help us out. I'll be right back."

Jack raised his eyebrows, and then turned to Elizabeth. "So, how's Sheppard?"

"He seems fine, but Carson's kept him pretty drugged. He seems pretty clear-headed though." She sighed. "I'm still worried about him."

Sam looked up, a slight smile on her face. "So, you and him are…?"

"Yes." Elizabeth answered, softly smiling.

"I'm happy for you." Jack told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You two have danced around the issue long enough." He seemed to realize the irony of his words, and refrained from saying anything more. Elizabeth didn't miss how he glanced at Sam, who met his eyes, and then looked down.

"Thank you, Jack." She sighed, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Colonel Carter, do you see anything out of place?"

She sighed, and closed the crystal chamber. "As much as I dislike to admit it, McKay's right. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the crystals. Each one is in place as it should be, and they're all in near perfect condition. I think our theory about Colonel Sheppard is right. He might be the only one Atlantis will let in."

"So what do we do?" Elizabeth asked.

Sam shrugged, glancing to the side, searching for the right words. "I don't know. Either he'll have to be strong enough to prepare for the battle, or we don't have use of the drones. We could always try to bypass the lock on the systems, but from what we've seen of Ancient technology, I think it would be a waste of time."

"I'll ask him what he wants to do now." Jack let the two ladies know, and they nodded to him. He walked out of the room, heading towards the infirmary.

Elizabeth looked at Sam. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

The Air Force colonel shook her head. "No, there isn't anything anyone can do about this right now. It's a couple hours past lunchtime, and I assume you haven't gotten anything to eat." She smiled when Elizabeth nodded uncomfortably. "Let's go. The general will let us know when Colonel Sheppard has reached a decision."

The two women left the chair room, talking quietly about anything except the fact they couldn't seem to protect Atlantis.

**XXX**

Jack steeled his features as he walked into the infirmary. He knew what he needed to ask of Sheppard was a lot, but he also knew what Sheppard's answer would be. Men like John Sheppard considered their lives insignificant compared to the greater good, and would sacrifice everything to protect those they loved. He didn't know why he bothered even asking, but he supposed it would do to be courteous in matters such as life and death.

Jack walked over to John's bedside and nodded in greeting. "Hey there Sheppard. How you feeling?"

"I'm alright, General." Sheppard sighed. "How are things going?"

Jack shrugged. "Everything's coming together. I've got Mitchell on getting all of your men up to date with all of the new technology we brought, and Carter and McKay seem to have broken the chair between the two of them. Well, it was McKay." He admitted with a sardonic smile. "Speaking of the chair…" He trailed off, knowing he had to get it over with. "Carter and McKay seem to think you're the only one the Atlantis chair will respond to. Something about how Atlantis has accepted you as its protector." He shook his head with a small shrug. "But the thing is that you're injured, and you were first on the list to evacuate to the SGC, but we need the drones and everything the chair can do for us, and you seem to be the only one who can work the chair." He raked a hand through his silver hair. "What I'm getting at, Sheppard, is I can't order you to stay here. We can figure something out, but I'm just leaving the option open."

"I'm staying." John stated immediately. "I'm not going to leave when Atlantis is being attacked by the Wraith and the Replicators."

Jack smiled and quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah, that's what Elizabeth said you'd say." He nodded. "Okay, Sheppard. But until then, and until we decide to test the chair, I'm ordering you to stay in bed and do everything the good doc says." He gave Sheppard a pointed look.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, General." John answered innocently.

"Sure." Jack glanced over his shoulder at Beckett who was checking on a patient, and the Scot shook his head with a smile on his face. "Yeah, Beckett seems to think differently."

"Well, I can be good." John settled into the pillows. "See? Good."

"Good man, colonel." Jack gave the younger man a pat on the shoulder. "Get some rest."

"Yes, sir."

Jack turned around and left the infirmary, relieved that that particular burden was over and done with. He tapped the radio he'd been given upon coming to Atlantis and spoke into it. "Carter, this is O'Neill."

"_Go ahead, sir."_

"Sheppard's on board and staying." He sighed. He felt bad for the man, because he knew what being injured was like, Lord knew he'd been in enough hospital beds to last him a lifetime, but he also knew what a strain using an Ancient chair was like. He did not envy the young colonel at this point. "How are the system diagnostics going?"

"_I asked Dr. Zelenka to get someone from his department on it, and then report to me. As far as I've heard, everything is in working order. It'd just be really nice to have a ZPM."_

"Yeah." Jack agreed. "They're pretty useful."

"_Yes, sir, they are." _Carter's voice stopped for a moment, as though she was taking a sip of a drink. _"Do you need anything?"_

"No, Carter, I'm just going to check up on Daniel, and then report back to General Landry. I'll be back within a few hours, and I'm going to track down Lieutenant Hailey. She sounds like someone we'll need here."

"_Isn't she on SG-17?"_

"Yep, but we need the best, and she's pretty darn good. She even gave you a run for your money." Jack teased her, and felt a flare of warmth in his chest when she chuckled.

"_Yes, sir. I'll meet you when you get back."_

"See ya, Carter. O'Neill out."

**XXX**

Tallis winced, squeezing her eyes shut, as Carson inserted a syringe into her arm, taking a sample of her blood. She knew that her blood might be the first step towards finding a cure for Makran, and for that, she was grateful, but she really hated needles. She was frightened of the thought of a tiny piece of metal breaking her flesh and getting stuck… she shuddered at the very idea. It was terrifying.

"Thank you, Tallis." Carson smiled at her as he labeled the vial and handed it to a nurse. He easily pulled off his latex gloves and disposed of them, and turned to her. "Now, I know I haven't allowed you into the isolation room because the last thing we need is you getting ill with the same disease, but we've discovered a few things about the nature of Makran's condition."

Tallis hopped off of the bed, clinging to Carson's every word. Her eyes lit up hopefully as a smile grew, expecting what he was about to say. "Yes? And? What are you saying, Carson?" A nervous excitement grew underneath her skin, but she took several quick breaths to keep herself under control.

"His disease is not bacterial at all. It results from direct contact with the Wraith, and his cells, and yours, for that matter, don't have a certain protein that protects you from oil on their skin, and it has halted Makran's cells' reproduction. That being said… there is no danger to you." He stated, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I am saying that you may go visit him."

Tallis shrieked with happiness, finally being allowed to see her beloved friend gave her great cause for rejoicing, and hugged him briefly before sprinting off to the isolation room. She slowed down, but still had to reach out with her arms to stop herself from slamming into the door. The airman standing guard at the door snorted and raised an eyebrow, and opened the door for her. She thanked him, and slowly walked in.

The room smelled of sickness and despair, and it sobered Tallis quickly. Her footsteps were slow and small as she approached her friend's bedside. She bit her bottom lip gently as she looked down at Makran, who was still unconscious, but out of his coma. He was only sleeping, his eyes shut as he searched for peaceful repose. She slipped her hand into his, and sat on the stool at his bedside.

There was nothing she could say for a long time. She could only look down at his face and memorize his features once more. His skin was green and gray, and was cold and sweaty to the touch. He appeared as though he was fighting off a great fever, and she gave his hand a tiny squeeze, comforting him through her touch. He didn't respond, but she placed her trust in the many monitors he was attached to, and relied on them to assure her that he was still alive.

But oh, he was so very alive. His chest rose and fell with his weakened breaths, and she could feel his heat. Every so often, a facial muscle, or his foot, would twitch in his sleep, and he sighed at random intervals. Sometimes, he looked strained, as though he was fighting off an invisible enemy, but still, there was nothing she could say. Her voice left her, and she could merely watch.

The door opened several minutes after she arrived, and she looked up. It was one of the men that had arrived from Earth. He was dressed in the casual uniforms of the Earth warriors, and even she, one who had no experience with armies, could tell that he was a great warrior in his own right, despite his age, shown clearly by his silver hair. His lips twitched in a small smile, and she returned it with a nod of her head.

"Hey. Tallis, right?" He asked as he stopped at the foot of Makran's bed.

"Yes, I am. Forgive me; I do not know your name." She turned her eyes away from Makran's face to look up at the strange man.

"General Jack O'Neill." He replied, and then walked to her side. "It's always rough, seeing a friend in a hospital bed."

"Yes." She responded distantly. "It is." She held Makran's hand between her two hands, and kept her touch light, scared she might hurt him further. "When will the enemy arrive?"

"Two months." Jack answered her. "We'll be ready."

"I have no doubt that you will be." She agreed. "I have found that, in my time here, the people of Earth are prepared for the worst, but hope for the best to occur. I am very much comforted that you will protect the home of the Ancestors. It is a sign of hope to all who fight the Wraith, and those who dwell in it are hope itself."

Jack nodded to her, unable to find words himself. "Listen, I know how hard it is to see someone like this, but if you need anything, ask anyone. We all know what it's like."

"But you seem to, especially." Tallis observed.

Jack's thoughts went to the many times he'd seen Carter in a hospital bed, and it tore at him. "Yeah." He nodded. "I have to go, but I'll send someone to check up on you." He knew that this girl was already an adult, but he was still too much of a father, and she looked so very young, holding the hand of a beloved friend, that his paternal instincts couldn't be denied.

Tallis, however, was grateful for his words and smiled genuinely. "Thank you, General O'Neill. You are most kind."

Jack patted her shoulder, and then left, leaving her to her silent thoughts.

It was many minutes after the general left that Makran stirred, and opened his eyes blearily, his mind clouded by the drugs for his pain and from sleep. He blinked at her, and smiled weakly. "Tallis."

"Makran." She smiled, her eyes filling with tears. "How do you feel?"

"Weak, and I am in very much pain." He answered her honestly. "But I feel much better now that you are here with me. I have missed you."

"I missed you too." She paused, and gathered up all of her courage and strength. "I love you." She whispered, her eyes wide with innocent honesty.

Makran smiled, mouthing the words to her in return, and slowly drifted back into sleep, exhausted by his body's inability to heal him. His hand gripped hers tightly, but he relaxed as he slept, and Tallis stayed at his side for many hours.

Though there was a gem of joy glowing in her heart, the world around her grew ever darker as no soldier save an injured man in the infirmary could protect Atlantis, and she, in return, called out for her protector. Even the silent walls and cool floors could feel anticipation as Atlantis' enemies drew ever closer. There was a brief lull in the ocean, and all was quiet for a mere second. Every heart chilled, and several people shuddered at the sensation.

A blonde woman sighed as she rubbed her neck, unable to come up with a solution. A silver-haired man joined her, and put a hand on her shoulder to encourage her. She found new strength in the man who had always protected her.

A brunette man's despair was warded off as a beautiful raven-haired woman distracted him from his books that seemed to hold no answers. The man allowed the woman to pull him away for a tour; she knew he appreciated how she could pull him from his pain and fears, and she was intent on chasing away the darkness, even for an hour.

The Key to Atlantis quietly slept as the woman who loved him sat at his side.

All was quiet for a moment, and several people could find comfort in the ones they loved.

Dr. Rodney McKay labored in his lab, testing several new algorithms for the shield tirelessly. A sandwich and mug of coffee were cold at his side; he was too busy and too intent on saving the world that he was more than willing to neglect himself. However, a certain medical doctor entered the room.

"Rodney, you have to sleep." Carson's soft brogue broke through the chaos of Rodney's mind.

"I know that, Carson." Rodney snapped. "But this is a little more important than that."

The doctor in Carson wouldn't stand to see his friend and a patient be worked to death, so Carson called up his infamous Scottish fire and closed Rodney's laptop without a word.

"Hey, I was working on that!" McKay protested as Carson crossed his arms over his chest.

"Get some rest, or I'll pull you off duty and have you shipped back to the SGC." Dr. Beckett threatened, and Rodney was faced with a dilemma: fight this point and get sent back to Earth, or sleep like he really wanted to and stay.

"Fine." Rodney muttered, and picked up his sandwich and left.

Carson smiled as he shook his head; Rodney would always be Rodney, but they were best friends. The physicist was a quiet hero; his mind would figure out the answers to all of the answerable questions in the universe without a thought to the fact his body was deteriorating. That's where Carson came in.

Yes, all of those in Atlantis found comfort in their friends.

Hopefully that comfort would be enough when the Wraith and the Asurans attacked.

**Please review. I want to know if that ending was too cheesy for you all. And because I like the reviews.**


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own SGA or SG-1

**Disclaimer: I do not own SGA or SG-1.**

An entire month had passed, and seven weeks were left until the Asurans and Wraith attacked. Several minor squabbles had to be worked out, as the stress was getting to everyone, leading to many shouting matches in the mess hall and three almost-fights in the science labs. At all hours of the day, the gyms were being used; free weights, exercise machines and the mats for sparring were put into good use, and one could find many airmen or marines going on long runs to burn off stress. The scientists had thrown themselves into their work, and the doctors applied themselves even more strongly than usual, doing what they could to prepare for the attack.

However, out of all of the inhabitants of Atlantis, Dr. Elizabeth Weir was feeling the strain the most. This was her home, her command, her city, and it might very well be stolen from her in seven weeks. All of the people she loved refused to leave and give up, and they could all be dead soon. It was difficult to keep herself from fainting from exhaustion and fear, let alone continue working and show a strong image to her people. She was constantly worried about John, who was progressing nicely. His wound was healing at an almost miraculous rate (for him, anyway, she suspected it had something to do with his hero, General O'Neill, ordering him to stay in bed when technically, the general couldn't order anyone around), and he would be fit to handle the chair.

Not fit enough for her or for Carson, or for anyone, really. But his body would be healed enough to handle the strain, and he would force himself to be ready.

Elizabeth had kept herself busy for many hours with paperwork, approving plans for evacuation and the battle, consenting that quarters be doubled up with all of the new soldiers coming into the city, and reading formal requests for personnel to be shipped back to Earth on the Daedalus when it arrived next week for another supply run. She typed up reports for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and letters to anyone with enough security clearance who could help them. She was constantly being interrupted with small catastrophes around the city, and she came very close to strangling Chuck Campbell when he asked for her opinion on some matter or another when she took five precious minutes to enjoy a cup of tea.

However, the man had since learned from that experience, and was doing what he could to keep people from bothering her. She appreciated that so much, and once they got out of this mess, she was going to buy him a fruit basket or something. It was no secret how much he loved a good apple.

Elizabeth sighed as she took a small bottle of pain relievers from her desk drawer and swallowed two with a sip of her cold tea. Her head had been pounding for the last hour, and while she still had so much to do, she knew it was a bad sign when the words started to blur on the page in front of her. After all, she had promised herself she would go to be with John when Jack came to collect him so they could test the chair, simply to see if John was, in fact, the only one Atlantis would respond to.

She was worried about him. He always took crazy risks if it meant that people's lives could be saved, and she promised herself that she would take care of him when they were back on Earth, and he didn't have to worry about taking care of an entire city, full of people. This, however, was possibly the riskiest thing he had ever done. Who knew what being connected to an entire city could do to him? She was well aware of what having an entire repository of knowledge could do to a person (it had happened to General O'Neill, after all), but being connected to an entire city?

She pushed herself out of her chair and left her office, smiling at Chuck as she passed by. Sensing her relatively good mood, he pounced at the opportunity. "Dr. Weir, I wanted to talk to you." He stated quickly before she could walk away.

Elizabeth gathered all of her self-control (she wanted to see John, damn it, was that too much to ask?) and turned to face Chuck. "Yes?"

"Look, I know everything's been hard on you for the last several weeks, and especially since you and Colonel Sheppard are… you know…" Elizabeth wanted to give Chuck the benefit of the doubt, but she was pretty sure he wanted to say 'sleeping together'. "Anyway, I've taken the liberty of sending a city-wide memo that everyone will be receiving on their laptops or through their headsets in…" He checked his watch. "About two minutes. The memo may or may not have been a thinly veiled threat from Dr. Beckett that you are not to be disturbed for at least eight hours."

He smiled gently at her and continued. "Even though we all have a lot of work to do, you and Colonel Sheppard need to be together." A wistful look took over his handsome features as he glanced down. "I know what its like to…" He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. His mind was several million light-years away, in Denver, Colorado, in a cozy house, where a young woman watched a video of him over and over again and cried because she missed her fiancé.

Elizabeth, touched by his words and thoughtfulness, laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile. "Thank you so much. When we weather this storm," She squeezed his shoulder. "I'm planning on substituting everyone on the base for at least a month, alternating in groups, and you'll be the first on the list to go home."

Chuck nodded and thanked her before sinking into his technician's chair to bring up a personal file that contained several pictures of his favorite girl in the entire world.

Elizabeth left the control room and walked to the infirmary. With every step, her heart lightened and some of her stress managed to melt away. She entered the infirmary and stepped around the three young lieutenants who were crowded around one of the beds. One of the teams had gotten in a small skirmish, and the team leader had been burned badly by some new weapon, and in the fashion of all teams that went through the Gate, they were all very close, and found it hard to stay away from each other for long.

She slipped through the chaos as doctors milled about, ordering prescriptions left and right and reprimanding misbehaving patients to one of the back corners where John was placed. She saw his face light up when he saw her, and she felt uncharacteristically happy at the sight. She smiled wearily as she sat down beside him.

"Hey you." He greeted with a grin as she leaned to kiss his cheek in greeting.

"Hey yourself." She ruffled his hair playfully. "Aren't you excited to be getting out of here?"

"Well, wouldn't you?" John asked, almost in a whine as he glanced about. He and Carson were great friends, but John hated being cooped up in one place for too long. It made him go nuts; he loved open spaces and fresh air, none of which could be gotten in any hospital, infirmary or medical facility.

"Unlike you," She began with a smirk. "I happen to enjoy getting to do nothing but lay around for long periods of time, not that I've gotten such a luxury in a while, so you should be taking advantage of this for me."

John's smug smile appeared on his face as he responded, "Oh, there are a lot of things I'd like to take advantage of." He gave her a pointed look.

"John Sheppard, are you making a pass at me?" Elizabeth asked, mock-horrified.

John was about to reply when General O'Neill, Colonel Carter, Dr. Jackson and Teal'c approached John's bed, followed by Carson, who pushed a wheelchair.

"Time to go, Sheppard." Jack announced.

John grinned as Elizabeth and Carson helped him sit up, and then he stood up on his own, wincing as he bent in a way that aggravated his wound. Once on his feet, he staggered his way to the wheelchair and sank into it with a groan. Elizabeth resisted the temptation to coddle him because she knew he was strong, and knew he needed the assurance that he was by her allowing him to push the limits a little bit.

"Ready to get out of here, colonel?" Dr. Jackson asked with an amused smile.

"Oh, he's more than ready, Daniel." Jack responded. "He's ecstatic. Excited, exuberant… enthusiastic, even."

"Indeed, O'Neill." Teal'c agreed.

"General, I don't think Colonel Sheppard has such a range of emotions." Carson cut in, his eyes twinkling.

"Hey!" John gave Carson a half-glare as the Scot smirked and began to push the wheelchair out of the infirmary. A few moments of silence passed, and John started the conversation once more. "So, how is all of this going to go down?" John asked, looking up at Colonel Carter and General O'Neill.

Colonel Carter uneasily sighed and shook her head. "I honestly don't know. I'm assuming that, since the other times you have been in the chair, you'll be perfectly fine and this will be a routine systems check. However, we've never come into contact with an Ancient chair that responded to only one person, and until now, the possibility never even occurred to us."

"So, you're saying I could die?" John teased her with a smirk.

She smiled, amused, though exhaustion lined her features. "I'm saying there's a remote possibility something bad could happen. I'm just warning you."

"Oh, don't worry so much, Carter. Sheppard's had his fair share of bad experiences; I'm sure one more won't kill him." Jack considered his last thought. "Well, one can only hope."

John's smirk grew broader as he looked up at the silver-haired general. "Thanks, sir. Your confidence and assurance is…" He trailed off, looking for the right word.

"Overwhelming?" Jack offered, raising his eyebrows.

"I do not believe that is the word Colonel Sheppard was searching for, O'Neill." Teal'c told Jack.

John glanced over at Daniel. "I knew there was a reason I liked him." He commented as he realized they had arrived at the chair room. He sighed and prepared himself for a stab of pain as he pushed himself out of the wheelchair, ignoring Carson's offered hand.

"Are you sure about this, John?" Elizabeth asked as she walked with him to stand by the chair. "You don't have to."

"Yes, I do." He countered quietly. "And you know it."

"Unfortunately, I do." She agreed, and gave his shoulder a fond squeeze.

John sat down in the chair, wincing at the pain once more, and then leaned back. Those Ancient chairs? Oddly comfortable, he thought as he allowed the entirety of Atlantis wash over him. It was a bodiless sensation. He didn't feel shivers or get goosebumps from accessing the systems, but he did feel something… he just didn't know how to describe it. It was like his mind had been meant to fit into Atlantis, and she readily accepted his presence. It was a full feeling of belonging, and if it weren't for the beautiful brunette standing only feet away, he would have wanted to stay there forever.

Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief as John seemed to settle into sitting in the chair, and she smiled, glad to see that look on his face. She didn't see it often, only when there was real reason to relax and not worry about the advancements of the enemy. For one long moment, Elizabeth felt the same calm that John did, until the light from the chair faded, he sat up, and fell from the chair to the floor.

Carson pushed past Daniel and Jack to kneel by his patient. He searched for John's pulse, and when he found it, he relaxed considerably. That was, until John's body started to convulse.

"General, if you would be so kind." He commented, his voice only slightly strained as he held down John's arms. Jack immediately was at John's legs, holding them in a vice-like grip to the floor.

Sam tapped her radio. "Medical team to the chair room." She said, and then went to Elizabeth, saying nothing, and simply providing support. She saw a lot of herself in Elizabeth; she always had, and if they were as alike as she suspected they were, the woman just needed someone there to weather the storm of worry and fear.

John's convulsions suddenly became much more violent, and he pulled from Jack and Carson's hold. He only could be calmed when Teal'c came to assist, and when blood could be seen staining his shirt from the area of his wound.

"Dr. Weir to the control room." Came over the city-wide intercom.

"I'll be right there." She snapped as calmly as possible, and turned on her heel, storming towards the nearest transporter and went to the control room.

When she arrived, some of her anger dissipated when she saw Chuck standing there with Tallis. The young woman had regained some of her color and life back, and Elizabeth was glad to see it, having heard Makran had awakened and his condition seemed to have stabilized. However, Tallis had a strength about her, and a determined look in her eye.

"What is it, Tallis?" Elizabeth asked patiently.

"I believe Kella possesses a ZPM, which fueled a shield over our planet. I thought it curious that so many worlds had been culled by the Wraith, but ours had only been touched in the last five years." Tallis explained. "The Ancestors' building had been a place where many crimes would take place, and after a particularly gruesome struggle and murder there, the Wraith came. I never realized anything until Dr. McKay showed me what a ZPM was. We always thought it was simply an artifact… art, perhaps."

"Where is the ZPM?" Dr. Weir inquired. "Would you be willing to take a team to it?" She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder when she saw a brief look of shock and fear pass over her face.

"Of course, Dr. Weir." Tallis nodded. "If I might be permitted to stay and gather some personal items from my home, along with getting some things for Makran."

"Go." Elizabeth nodded, and turned to Chuck. "Get Major Lorne's team, brief them, and have them in the Gate room this afternoon."

Tallis smiled, and thanked her, before heading towards the isolation rooms, where Makran was still kept, only because it was closer to the science labs where a cure was being worked on for him.

Elizabeth was halfway to the chair room when she came upon General O'Neill. "How is he?" She asked worriedly.

"He's having small seizures. They're not enough to do any permanent damage, but Dr. Beckett theorizes its because he went too far into the systems, and the systems chucked him out." He placed a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. "He's going to be fine. His wound opened, but it was only surface bleeding. You should go sit with him."

Elizabeth nodded, attempting to keep her composure, but tears welled in her eyes. Jack merely squeezed her shoulder, and left.

Jack went to where Daniel had been given a small lab of his own, and poked his head in the door. "Hey." He greeted. "Anything else?"

"No, not…" He trailed off as he was sent something, and a small –_ding– _came from his laptop. Daniel turned to bring up the sent document, and sighed. "Control room just intercepted another message."

"Do you know what it says?" Jack asked, walking to read over Daniel's shoulder.

He shook his head. "No, not entirely, but…" He trailed off and pointed his finger at the screen, at one particular phrase. "That says 'warships' and that," He pointed at another word, close to the first phrase, "Says 'naquadah bomb'."


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: SG-1 and SGA doesn't belong to me

**Disclaimer: SG-1 and SGA doesn't belong to me.**

"Dr. Weir, we're going to need that ZPM Tallis says the Kellans have, and really soon." Dr. Daniel Jackson approached Elizabeth the moment he walked into the control room. He had just come from translating as much of the newly intercepted message as he could in a short amount of time, and he was feeling more afraid than he could remember.

Dr. Weir turned away from Dr. Zelenka, who went back to his work, and addressed Daniel. "What makes you say that?" Her eyes reflected the fear in her heart that she wouldn't allow herself to acknowledge.

"Oh, no reason, except the Asurans seem to have picked up a few of our tricks and made their own naquadah bombs." Daniel answered with false cheerfulness. "I haven't finished translating the entire message, but as far as I can tell, they have new ships, new tricks, and new bombs." He pulled his glasses from his face and leaned against the railing.

Elizabeth took the new information in stride. "I'm sending Major Lorne's team with Tallis to retrieve the ZPM. I think you should go along with them, in case there's something in the building that could also be of help to us."

Daniel nodded, adjusting his glasses back on his face, and straightened up. "Alright." He walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He lowered his voice. "Are you doing okay?"

"I'm fine." Elizabeth lied, giving the archaeologist a strained smile. "John hasn't woken up yet, but Dr. Beckett says he'll be alright." Uncomfortable under his concerned gaze, she turned the conversation away from her own pains. "You should get ready to go; you leave in an hour."

Daniel nodded, and gave her one last worried look, and left. On his way from the control room, he ran into Jack and Sam. He didn't comment on the lack of distance between them, and fell into step next to them as they headed towards the science labs.

"What's up?" Daniel asked casually.

"Zelenka and I were working together earlier, and we found a way to boost the shield power by eighteen percent. We're also hoping that if the ZPM has enough power, we can cloak the city and use the currents to move the city." Sam paused when she saw both Jack and Daniel staring at her. "What?"

"Move the city, Carter?" Jack asked disbelievingly.

"How does one…" Daniel squinted his eyes and tried to find a way to articulate his question. "Move an entire city?"

Sam shook her head. "There's a gravitational 'rope', per se, that holds the city in place. All we have to do is disengage it and let the currents pull us where they would for an hour or so. If my calculations are correct, we would be almost a hundred miles away from our original position." She raised her eyebrows and shrugged slightly. "Cloaked and away from where the Wraith and Replicators expect us to be? I think it would give us more time, and might prevent an attack entirely."

Jack and Daniel didn't respond for a long moment, both attempting to process what she said, but Jack regained his dignity quickly. He brought himself to his 'General' place and nodded. "We have a meeting at nineteen-hundred hours; bring a solid plan and all sorts of three-dee images, and we'll decide on it." He dropped out of General mode and assumed his jaunty saunter as they continued down the hallway. "Just so crazy it might work, Carter!"

Sam smiled despite herself, and glanced up at Daniel who was wearing a similar smile, his blue eyes hiding secret knowledge, and his smile grew into a bit of a smirk when he saw her looking at him. She chuckled.

"What?" She asked, amused as he grinned at her.

"Oh, nothing, Sam. Nothing at all." He lied smugly.

Sam and Daniel hadn't noticed that Jack's pace had him several meters ahead of them already, and that their conversation was not heard by his ears. Sam merely gave Daniel a little shove. "Come on, tell me."

"Oh, it's really nothing, except _chemistry_ between you and Jack. Honestly, Sam… a little obvious." He teased her as he gave her shoulder a responding shove.

"Chemistry?" Sam asked, shocked by the mere thought. "Daniel, I'm not sure I want to know what sort of alien has influenced you **this **time, but there's no chemistry between General O'Neill and myself."

"Sure, Sam. Sure." Daniel shrugged blithely, as Jack turned around and called to them, already at the end of the hallway.

"Come on, you slowpokes!" He urged them. "I heard the mess has a great slice of chocolate cake from McKay. Despise the man, but on matters of cake…" He gained a slightly manic look that made him look like a child.

Sam and Daniel chuckled and appropriately hurried up.

**XXX**

Tallis found herself garbed in the same BDUs as the Atlantis expedition dressed in, carrying a P-90, as she had done the last time she went to Kella, twenty minutes before Major Lorne's team was due to leave with her. She felt a flutter of warmth in her stomach when passing scientists and military personnel didn't give the sight of her a second thought. They trusted her, and no one thought she was at fault for what happened to Colonel Sheppard, Ronon and Makran. Well, no one in Atlantis. She couldn't blame those back on Earth for thinking as they probably did; she wouldn't have thought anything different. But it felt good to be trusted.

She walked into Makran's isolation room where she had spent much of her time in the last days since Makran had woken up. She smiled as he sat up in the bed to greet her. Her heart thundered in her chest when Makran embraced her tightly.

"You seem to have regained your strength." Tallis observed with a grin as she perched herself on what had become her stool. "Has doctor Beckett found something to cure you?"

"Not yet." He shrugged. "But I don't feel too badly. He keeps saying that my body isn't healing itself and I'm at risk for going into a coma again, but I don't see it."

Tallis was stricken by such news, and Makran's cavalier attitude about it. "Makran! How can you say that!" She fairly pushed him down onto the bed. "Lay down; rest! I have no desire to see you so incapacitated again! Do you know what that does to me?" She knew she sounded like a wailing child, but the thought of seeing him so unresponsive again… she didn't want to know what that would do to her. Tears began to well in her eyes, but she squashed the urge to cry.

"I'm so sorry, Tallis." Makran was immediately chastened and reached for her hand. "I just… I hate lying here and not knowing what's going to happen. I feel… fine."

She snorted. "That's the pain medication speaking for you."

Makran laughed and nodded, gently tugging on her hand to bring her closer. "You might be correct."

Tallis sat on the edge of his bed and leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead. They were silent, and Tallis was torn with the desire to speak of her love for him and the fear he had only accepted her claims when he was half-asleep. Neither he nor she had said _those_ words since she had been allowed to visit him. Whether such behavior was out of fear or disbelief on his side, she didn't know, but she knew she was merely afraid. Still stuck in her thoughts, he pulled her from her reverie.

"Tallis?"

She looked up from where she had been staring at his red scrubs and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Yes?"

He looked unsure, and was uncharacteristically silent for a short moment that seemed too long, and then spoke once more. "When you first came to see me… you said that you loved me. I fear that might have just been an addled dream, but… did you really say that?" He asked, dangerously hopeful as he looked up at her face.

Tallis was taken aback by his question, almost as though she had been caught in some mischief as a child. "Well, yes, of course I did." She spoke haltingly, almost afraid of the truth. "I do, you know. I really do. I simply didn't know if you really… still…" She trailed off, and looked away, humiliated that she was suddenly so eloquent when, in all of the love stories and songs she had memorized as a lovesick teenager, all people in love seemed to gain some strange ability to be wonderful with words and charm their lover.

"Of course I do." Makran leaned his head against her hip, which was closest to him. He smiled simply up at her as a young man in love often does. He felt silly for suddenly having lost the ability to use his tongue, but it wasn't like Tallis made it easy on him. How was he supposed to act with her being so beautiful and acting so concerned over him? He wasn't one for acting cool and suave, but this was one of those rare occasions he wished he had at least a little bit suaveness.

Tallis smiled, her ears flushing red. "Could you…?" Her eyes shining with hope, he knew exactly what she wanted and needed to hear.

"I love you, Tallis." He said, forcing himself into a sitting position. "Now, I know I'm green, and, to be honest, I think it's a little gross too, but I hope you won't mind…" He trailed off and his gaze dropped to her lips.

Her eyes were wide in fear and fascination when she noticed where he was looking, and looked to his lips as well. She hesitantly moved forward a fraction of an inch, and his lips fearfully touched hers. Her entire body tingled and she nearly jumped from shock that he was _**actually kissing her**_. Emboldened by his effort, she experimentally pressed against his lips. His left hand found its place on her shoulder, and she, deliciously afraid, found his stubbled chin and anchored herself to the world there.

Makran slowly pulled away and smiled, slightly flushed himself, at her. "I love you, and I will always love you." He found much pleasure in finally speaking those words, as she was now receptive to them.

Tallis smiled shyly and nodded. "I love you too, Makran." She giggled and pressed him back down onto the bed. "You've made your feelings known; now you must rest!"

He grinned and obeyed as the door opened. One of the famed SG-1 stepped in, and looked embarrassed. "Um, sorry to bother you, but Tallis, its almost time for us to go. I'll… wait outside." He closed the door behind him.

Tallis giggled, and then sighed, her mirth gone. She stood up, and leaned down to cautiously kiss him. She pulled away, and then beamed, rather pleased with herself for taking such initiative. She gave his hand a squeeze.

"I'll return soon, Makran." She promised him, and turned to walk away, but he didn't let go of her hand. "What is it?"

"I…" He couldn't form a sentence, but she knew what his fears were. He had been taken by the Wraith on their home planet, and he most certainly did not want the same for her. He was afraid of losing her when he had just won her affections.

Tallis kissed the palm of his hand. "I will be safe. Major Lorne is a great warrior, and a member of SG-1 is accompanying me. You have heard the tales of SG-1; I will be as safe as one can ever be." She assured him, and reluctantly pulled herself away. "Until I return."

"I love you." Makran reminded her.

She walked backwards with a bright smile. "I love you too." Oh yes, she was becoming quickly obsessed with those words, but it made her heart fit to burst, and she did like the feeling.

**XXX**

The wormhole disappeared behind them as Major Lorne, his team, Daniel Jackson and Tallis reached Kella. It took Tallis a moment to get used to the fresh air that was not tainted by salt from an ocean, and she took a deep breath, steeling herself against the fears that assaulted her. She had always been deathly frightened of the Wraith, and she didn't want to be captured by them.

"Okay, Lane, Hendrickson, Gate duty. Dr. Jackson, Roberts, Tallis and myself will go ahead. It shouldn't take us more than a couple hours. Radio if there is any, and I repeat, any Gate activity, or if you notice anything weird." Major Lorne ordered, and the two men nodded.

"Yes, sir." They said, and Lorne nodded.

Tallis was still frozen with fear when Lorne started off towards the capital city, and Dr. Jackson placed a hand on her shoulder. She nearly jumped when he did so, and he smiled comfortingly at her, in a way that made him seem less of a human, and more as she pictured a being greater than mortals.

"Don't worry, Tallis. Major Lorne is good at what he does, and I've had a bit of experience with bad guys." His smile grew slightly with amusement. "We will protect you."

Tallis met his eyes, and nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Jackson." She said as they caught up with Major Lorne.

"Please, it's Daniel." He corrected her.

The odd trio continued on until they reached the capital city, which had fallen into disrepair. The paint from the buildings had faded from the harsh sun that came from Kellan summers, and some buildings had crumbled. There were obvious signs that animals had taken up residence in the city, and it broke her heart. She had once desired to lead this beautiful city, and now it was broken. Her shoulders slumped, but she bit her bottom lip and forced herself to continue on. She led the two men into the Ancient building and they seemed to lose Daniel in his fascination for what was on the walls.

"Do you know when all of this was inscribed on the walls?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder. "This appears to be… almost Greek, but no, that can't be right. This style is distinctive of the sixth dynasty in Egypt…"

"Daniel," She chuckled, finding his behavior most amusing. "Please, videotape all you want, and I will explain it to you when we return."

She looked up at Major Lorne as they continue on into the center chamber. "Is he always so… fascinated by such things?"

"Yeah, he is." Lorne half-smiled. "It's what he does."

Tallis nodded, and then opened the last door by waving her hand in front of the bar on the wall, and giving the door a good shove. It slid open, and she went to the pedestal in the middle of the room.

"Well, here it is." She pressed on a circular portion of the pedestal and what she had always thought was art rose up. She gently plucked it out and handed it to Major Lorne, who placed it into the bag he had brought with him for the very same purpose.

Lorne's radio suddenly crackled to life, and he handed the bag to Tallis, who's hands began to shake. Not again…

"We've got a problem, Major."

"What is it, Lane?" He asked.

"Dr. Weir wants us all back in Atlantis within two hours; it seems the enemy is picking up speed and the good doctor's cutting all offworld travel down to evacuation to Earth."

"When will the enemy be there?" Lorne demanded, afraid, but refusing to show it to someone who was already rattled. He gave Tallis a look of comfort.

"Two weeks, sir."


	17. Chapter 17

I'm so sorry its been so long, but my schedule has been HECTIC. But, I hope you enjoy this installment, since it is quite long.

**Disclaimer: I don't own SGA and SG-1.**

Tallis felt her entire body seize up for a split second with unparalleled fear. Flashes of Wraith darts shot through her mind and she recalled exactly how she had felt with she saw her best friend, Elina, being taken by the Wraith, and how she had felt when she had known Makran had suffered the same fate. She had thought she had saved herself and her people when she had asked the people from Earth for help. She had assumed that the city of the Ancestors couldn't be destroyed, and none would challenge such powerful weapons, but she was wrong. She fought to control herself in front of the two men, and barely managed to hang on.

However, Major Lorne seemed to have some uncanny ability to sense her feelings and he gave her a pat on the back, and guided her out of the room and into the hallways. She took a deep breath and gave him a tiny smile. "Thank you." She murmured as she swallowed hard.

"Come on, Dr. Jackson, time to go." Lorne announced, and Daniel nodded, finishing his videotaping, and he stowed his camera into one of the pouches on his vest. He glanced at the Kellan girl. "You mentioned wanting to grab some of your things?"

"Yes." Tallis nodded. "It will not take more than a few moments."

Without another word, Tallis led the two men out into the bright sun and down the street, closer to the Governor's mansion. She stopped at a small house only a few blocks from the grand building that belonged to the rulers of Kella, and found a key behind a removable panel of stone on the floor of the small porch. She disappeared into the house.

Once inside, Tallis let out a deep breath that she felt she had been holding since she left her home. This house was so familiar to her; she had spent many hours there with Makran. The house had belonged to his parents, and then to him when he turned fifteen and was no longer a ward of the state, and could be considered an adult. He had practically raised his younger brothers there, and she had been the most frequent visitor.

Tears blurred her vision as she remembered all of the late evenings she had spent laughing with her best friend, and all of the times she had put Makran's brothers to bed. She remembered having a water fight with Makran right there by the kitchen, and remembered crying in his arms because her mother had died over on the sofa. She swallowed and forced herself to enter Makran's room.

She found his favorite travel bag, and didn't remove much from his room. She knew he would want a few outfits, and his favorite bracelet made of braided leather (she had made it for him), and his one volume about Kellan science, but other than that, she left, to allow him to pick exactly what he wanted at a later time.

Considering there was still some room left in the bag, Tallis went into Makran's brothers' room and took some of their clothes as well. She also slipped in a portrait of Makran and his parents, before they had died. She took one last look around the house, wiped away the last of her tears, and walked out.

Wordlessly, she headed back to her own home. She couldn't even think of speaking, and neither man forced her to. For that, she was grateful. Even being in this city where she had grown up was difficult, and she just wanted to cry for all she had lost. She now lived away from home, in unfamiliar surroundings… and she just wanted her mother and father back.

Lost in her thoughts, she barely acknowledged the fact she opened the front door with the key her father had given to her to the Governor's mansion and walked in. Once inside, the dusty air assaulted her and she took a second to look around her. This was home to her. The warm wood of the staircase and walls and the cool stone floors reminded her of playing hide and seek with her father, and how he would always let her find him. She remembered her mother carrying her down the stairs when she was feeling particularly ill from some childhood bug, and fixing her a warm, sweet drink and wrapping a blanket around her. She could recall her father reading from a book which title she didn't remember and hearing his deep voice washing over her and knowing she was safe and cared for.

Tallis walked up the main staircase and found the way to her old room, wiping her tears away as she went. She turned the doorknob and went in. She felt like a feeble child as she stumbled to her bed and fell onto it. She couldn't help the pitiful little sobs she cried into her old pillow. She curled up into a little ball and trembled from the force of her tears.

She wanted things to go back to the way they were. Her mother and father both alive, and Kella a thriving trade planet, and she, the beloved daughter who had nothing to worry about except her next lesson with Master Tyin who was old and snobby. She didn't want to face the reality that she could very well die soon because the Wraith destroyed Atlantis before she and Makran could be evacuated to Stargate Command, on Earth. She didn't want to live in a world where she was one simple girl who meant very little in the grand scheme of things.

She cried for all she had lost and for the little she had gained since the plague, and only stopped when her head pounded painfully, fifteen minutes later. She used a corner of her t-shirt to erase the evidence of her tears from her face, and stood up, exhausted, but she forced herself to begin packing.

As Tallis began to take articles of clothing from her armoire, it seemed almost symbolic that she was now closing the part of her life that had been on Kella and truly taking up residence on Atlantis. She would always be Kellan, but she now had other things to do, and other people to meet.

Along with clothing, she took a small box that contained all of her favorite jewelry, and she quickly walked to her parents' old bedroom (whilst forcing herself not to think of them) and found her parents' bonding rings. She felt like a thief, but she knew her parents would have wanted her and Makran to have them. Her mother had, after all, always been very fond of Makran and how he was so protective when it came to Tallis, and her father had very much doted on the young man as well. She paused, and could almost see her mother handing her the rings, closing her fingers over them, and saying she would understand when the day came what it meant to wear the same ring as the man she loved.

She carefully put all of the items into her own bag, and could think of nothing else she wanted to take back to Atlantis with her. She picked up her bag, and Makran's bag, and left her old room, and closed the door behind her. She let her hand rest on it for a long moment as she quietly said goodbye to her home, and, dry-eyed and calm, went to meet Major Lorne and Dr. Jackson. She managed a half-hearted smile to greet them, and Dr. Jackson, whose heart was so tender and caring that it made Tallis trust him immediately, placed his arm around her shoulders for a brief moment to give her a half-hug.

It was then that Tallis silently thanked the Ancestors for what she had gained from losing her home. She had met those who lived in the home of the Ancestors, the people from Earth, and she had so much to learn about the universe; she had yet to learn how one race of people could be such great warriors when the time called for it, and yet so open, loving and thirsty for knowledge about anything and everything. She had yet to understand how one could grow to be that way, and she had yet to find that part of herself.

Tallis followed them back to the Gate and Dr. Jackson dialed the Gate. Before they stepped through, she glanced one last time over her shoulder and smiled grimly. She would miss this place, but Makran was waiting for her back in Atlantis. Kella was her past, but Makran was her future, and wherever he was, she could make a home with him.

**XXX**

"Absolutely not, Colonel!" Dr. Carson Beckett exclaimed firmly as John Sheppard lain underneath the Ancient scanner.

"What do you mean, 'absolutely not'?" John nearly growled. "We need the drones to fight the Wraith and the Replicators, and we've already established I'm the only one who can even access the city's systems! I need to be in that chair!"

Dr. Beckett sighed, though he was pleased by the results that came up on the screen. Other than his healing bullet wound, John was in perfect health, and he would blessedly not be affected in the long term by the small seizures and the bout of unconsciousness he had suffered. "You were lucky this time, colonel. But you suffered convulsions and seizures from not even five minutes in that chair. A battle will last for hours; who knows what that could do to you!"

"It doesn't matter! The drones could be the reason we survive that battle, and if I die in the process, it will be worth it because everyone else will be alive!" John argued back, refusing to give up. He would stay and he would protect Atlantis. He swore he could nearly feel the walls and floor hum in response to his determination.

Each time he sat in the chair, it was odd, but he felt more connected to the city. When he would go on his daily runs, the lights seemed to brighten as he passed by, and the walls sang with his presence. When he fell asleep, he could almost feel the sensation of another consciousness wrapped itself around his, and his sleep was always deep and relaxing. But when he was offworld, it was fitful and light, even if he was in a comfortable bed on a friendly planet. When he sat down anywhere, it was as though there was a friendly ghost sitting at his side, always present, ready to protect him. And his life definitely seemed to mirror that idea.

He'd gone up against several Genii men who had the tactical advantage, as well as having the numbers to back up their whole 'taking over Atlantis' idea, and he'd defeated them all. He'd shot Kolya in the shoulder without touching Elizabeth and saving her life. He'd protected Atlantis time and time again, and he didn't have any way to explain how that was possible unless there was another entity at work, and he definitely believed that Atlantis wasn't just a city.

He sighed. "Carson, I have to do this, and you know I do. Now, I appreciate your concern because you're my friend and my doctor, but this is something I have to do. I don't like the idea of dying either, but this is Atlantis we're talking about." John watched the Scot's face melt from sternness and severity to sorrowed acceptance.

"I know, son, but I definitely do not like it." Carson stated crossly. "You can get up now, but shirt up." He snapped on a pair of latex gloves, and examined John's stitches. "I don't know how you do it, lad, but this has healed amazingly for it only being a couple months. The stitches will come off sometime after the Wraith and Replicators get here, but I'm sure you'll be fine if you take it easy."

John nodded, grinning as he hopped off the table (with a wince) and pulled his shirt down. "So, I'm free?"

Carson sighed. "Yes, yes." He went to the back room where they kept all of the prescription drugs, and took a bottle of the pills he needed to give John. "Here you go. Vicodin. One pill at a time for severe pain. You know the drill." He teased the other man. He came slightly more serious. "You will be officially off-duty until the battle begins, so don't worry about getting in trouble for taking narcotics while on-duty. Make sure to sleep as much as possible, and eat!"

"Yeah. Thanks doc." He said over his shoulder as he walked out of the infirmary. Man, there was NOTHING better than walking out of that room. He was tempted to give a little happy shout, but he didn't. His mind, instead, turned to the darker matters, like the battle ahead. His stomach turned at the very thought, and then he knew exactly where he wanted to go, and who he wanted to see.

Within minutes (thanks to a nearby transporter), he was walking across the catwalk to Elizabeth's office. Her gaze was down, reading some important document or other in front of her, and he nearly giggled at the prospect of scaring her. He opened the door silently and snuck around to read over her shoulder. He bent down, holding his breath so she wouldn't know he was there.

"Hey there." He whispered, brushing his lips over her neck.

Elizabeth nearly jumped several feet into the air, and placed a hand over her heart. "My goodness, John, are you trying to scare the life out of me?"

"Yeah, pretty much." He grinned cheekily. "Carson let me out of the infirmary, and gave me some wonderful painkillers. Have I told you how much I love that guy?" He kissed her cheek. "Well, I like you more. You're prettier."

Elizabeth smiled, amused at his words. "Well, thank you. I'd say the same for you, but Carson has that accent."

"Oh, that Scottish thing? Please, you can't tell me you like that." John scoffed, but found himself entirely too attracted to her to finish defending his own attributes when she stood up to wrap her arms around his neck and bring him down for a proper 'hello' kiss. "You know, I think you may be my favorite person." He bumped his nose against hers, and made her smile.

"Well, I do what I can. For you." She flirted, and stayed in his grasp. His arms were wrapped around her waist, and she was pressed deliciously against his chest, and for a moment, all she knew was the feel of his body, the smell of his skin, and how green his eyes actually were.

John smiled at her and felt himself relaxing immediately. He knew she was stressed out and scared and exhausted, because he felt the same way, and that was why he had come to see her. She liked seeing him, and when he came by, she took a break to chat with him. He had serious power over her if she took a break when she saw him. That made him feel oddly honored, and he gave her a tight squeeze that made her squeal. He released her and took a seat on her desk, leaning awkwardly to one side to alleviate the pain in his side.

"How are you?" He asked simply as she sat back down in her chair but leaned forward to put her head on his lap. It was still weird that she let him see her so broken down and tired, but he liked to see this side of her too. He gently ran his fingers through her hair, and he felt her smile against his leg.

"I'm tired and about ready to scream. I just want to go to my room and not come out for hours." She admitted quietly, closing her eyes and cherishing his warmth and the feeling of her cheek against the fabric of his pants. "Two weeks, John. They're coming in two weeks at their pace, and I don't know if we'll be ready. I'm so scared."

Her small voice made him want to take her up in his arms and soothe away all of her fears, but he had to remind himself that she was stronger than he was. He only continued to brush his fingers through her hair.

"I want to trust in Rodney and Colonel Carter, and the rest of SG-1 for that matter, but this is two of the worst enemies Earth has ever known. The only thing that could make this worse is if several Goa'uld motherships suddenly appear!" She exclaimed, though her voice was still quiet.

"If Ba'al shows up, I'm blaming you." He teased her and poked her cheek.

She chuckled, but let out a long sigh. "I don't know how to deal with this, John." She whispered, and John could feel her tremble slightly.

"Hey." He caught her attention and stood up. He leaned down as best he could to hug her. She quickly stood up, knowing he was aggravating his wound, and hugged him gently in return. "Everything is going to be okay. I know this because we've defeated so many other enemies, and staved off the Wraith on our own for so long. Now, we have SG-1." He stressed the name of the team he practically worshipped. "They've gotten out of worse scraps than this, and maybe they'll share some of their luck."

Elizabeth smiled at the truth in his words, and the levity in his voice, turning her face towards his to kiss him lightly. "Thank you, John." She said simply and leaned her head on his shoulder again.

"You're welcome." He responded and held her closer.

All was quiet in their world that existed of each other's arms and bodies for several long moments until the door opened, and John and Elizabeth separated. It was Colonel Mitchell, and he looked slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry to intrude, ma'am, colonel." He nodded apologetically. "But the senior staff meeting's about to start, and Carter wants to get started; she says she has somethin' brilliant."

"Thank you, Colonel." Elizabeth said, her voice calm and even. "We will be there in a few minutes."

Mitchell nodded to them, and left for the conference room. John turned to look at Elizabeth and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you going to be okay?" He asked quietly.

Elizabeth's features were strained, but she nodded. "Yeah. I think I will be." She sighed, almost ready to get back to work. "We should probably go."

John looked almost mischievous as he said, "Not before this." With that, he pulled her in for a passionate kiss, his hands resting respectfully at her waist as her arms were around his neck. He pulled away regretfully and sighed. "If the world would stop threatening to end without us, we might actually get somewhere."

Elizabeth smiled and hugged him once more. "Thank you so much, John." She whispered into his shirt, and he returned the warm embrace.

Moments later, they exited Elizabeth's office and entered the conference room. SG-1 was seated already, along with Rodney and Radek. John gingerly took a seat next to General O'Neill, and Elizabeth sat between John and Rodney. Colonel Carter was standing next to the screen and she smiled in greeting to the two leaders of Atlantis.

"Okay." She turned to address all of the people gathered. "The main problem with Atlantis as it is, is that the Wraith and the Replicators know our location, and so it occurred to me that it is possible to move Atlantis."

"The star drive?" John asked, confused. They only had the ZPM that Major Lorne, Tallis and Dr. Jackson had brought back from Kella. That was hardly enough to power the shield and Atlantis' weapons, let alone the star drive.

"No, surprisingly." Carter answered. "I wondered why Atlantis didn't move from its current spot, and I realized there was a gravitational connection between the city and the planet underneath the water. I used the short-range scanners, and saw there were small facilities on the ocean floor, and there were several around the planet. Now, my plan is to disengage the city from its current gravitational facility and allow the currents to pull us away." She brought up the 3-D image she had created for effect that showed the city moving from one facility to one a few hundred miles away. "I mean, considering the power of the currents… in only a few hours, we could be hundreds of miles away from our current position."

"I also did some calculations with the ZPM brought back from Kella, and it is currently at sixty-two percent. With that much power from a ZPM, along with the Daedalus' ZPM, we could create two shields; one to convert into a cloak, and another to have as a shield, effectively making us invisible and protected." She spoke with a hint of pride in her voice; there were times she allowed herself to believe she really _was_ a genius.

Dr. Weir seemed to like the idea, but she remained skeptical. "But how long would both the shield and the cloak last together?"

"Well, I don't think we should use them together. We should use the cloak just before the enemy arrives, and they will search the planet's surface for us. I believe the Replicators will learn how to detect us, and then we switch on the shield as well. When they start targeting us effectively, the cloak would become pointless, and we shift all power to the shield and the weapons." Carter answered.

Dr. Weir nodded. "Thank you, Colonel. You have a go."

"Thank you." Sam sat down on Jack's other side.

Daniel stood up. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I finished translated the latest message." He brought up his translation on screen. "In short, it says the Asurans have designed new battleships that are most effective when they deploy their new naquadah bombs, which I believe they designed after ours. If I'm right…" He trailed off and then gathered his nerve. He couldn't believe he was suggesting this, but it seemed like the only way. "The Daedalus could go into orbit, cloaked, and beam a few bomb experts on board. They string the place with different explosives and harness the secondary explosions from the naquadah bombs." He suggested weakly.

"I know," He continued. "That this could potentially be a suicide mission, and I would never suggest anything like this unless I thought it would be… worth the risk." He forced the last words out and sighed. "There's always a chance, despite they could set timers on the explosives."

Dr. Weir sighed at the idea as well and nodded. "Dr. Jackson, if you find people willing to do it, then the idea is a good one." He nodded to her, silently thanking her, and sat down as well. "Anything else?" She asked.

"Yes, I have something." Rodney said as he stood up.

"Actually, **we** have something." Radek interjected. "Dr. Weir, we were experimenting with a material one of the teams brought back from MT3-778 and found, when paired with water and a condensed form of hydrogen, it makes a very powerful explosive."

"The only problem with it is that we can't control how long it takes for the water and hydrogen to bond with the material and go off." Rodney picked up where Radek left off. "We've already created an effective prototype; all we need to do is test it, and then create the actual thing. We think we can have it ready in a couple days after initial testing."

"A week, Dr. Weir." Radek amended, adjusting his glasses.

"A couple days." Rodney snapped, rolling his eyes as Radek shook his head.

Dr. Weir nodded. "Go ahead. Test on PT7-113. It's uninhabited. You test tomorrow, and Major Lorne's team will go with you."

Rodney nodded, and both he and Radek sat down.

Elizabeth looked around, her eyes almost betraying how scared she was by all of this. "Does anyone have anything to add?" When no one spoke up, she stood up and smiled slightly. "Thank you for your time. We will have another meeting in three days at seventeen-hundred hours."


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I don't own SGA or SG-1. But I do own Tallis and Makran, and Brian Leeds, so no touchy.**

Brian Leeds wasn't accustomed to crying women, so it was lucky he happened upon Laura Cadman instead of anyone else when he had worked up a sweat, but was pumped up for some more exercise. He found her staring out over the sea, uncharacteristically silent and still. She was usually laughing or at the Girls Poker Night that was hosted every Thursday in one of the small Ancient labs, or beating someone up with her superior hand-to-hand skills in the gym, but right now, she was just standing, and he could tell something was wrong.

He had known Laura for a while, though he still affectionately called her Cadman. He also thought she was beyond insanely hot, but that was out of his control. She had saved his butt out on the field several times, and that just served to endear her to him, but alas, alas, she was smitten to Dr. Beckett, and he could accept that. Didn't stop him from thinking she was hot, or imagining her in Victoria's Secret!BDUs. Heh. That would be awesome.

But back to the present. Brian wiped his forehead a corner of his t-shirt as he walked over to her, nudging her with his shoulder. "Hey Cadman." He greeted her, his enthusiasm dimmed at seeing her so contemplative. "What's on your mind?"

"Dr. Jackson and Dr. McKay and Radek," She and the Czech had an understanding; she was still trying to defeat Radek at chess, and they had become fast friends. "Have come up with some crazy idea to blow up all of the enemy ships once they come. They want to beam some people to set some new, dangerous explosives that can hardly be controlled or anticipated, and this isn't just some plant-C4-and-run deal." She looked up at him, her eyes serious, but dry. "This is the kind of stuff we do, and I told them I'd do it."

If Brian was a sane person, he would have yelled at her and taken her by the shoulders and shaken her violently. But he was the type of person who lived on Atlantis, and he understood. He gave her a nod. "You're the best we've got, Cadman. If anyone could rig it up to destroy a million birds with one stone, its you." He paused. "But you're torn because you're in love with Dr. Beckett, but you also know this is something you have to do."

Laura nodded, biting her bottom lip. Brian understood her completely. He was single, but he hadn't always been. He'd been engaged once; his fiancée had run out on him in the middle of their wedding when her old flame (who she'd been cheating on him with for the past month) protested to the union. He knew what it was like to miss someone so much it interfered with every decision on the battlefield.

"You don't have to do it, Cadman. They're all civilians, and they can't order you to do anything, and you know as well as I do that Colonel Sheppard and General O'Neill wouldn't order you to do something like this." He reminded her. "No one wants to see you go on a mission like this."

Laura sighed and raked her hands through her hair. She was going nuts because of this. On one hand, she knew she was probably the only one who had enough field experience to deal with something like this. She was also probably the only one with the expertise in this area, but she was still so scared. She cared about Carson so much, and she wanted to see where their relationship could go, but if not her, then who else?

She glanced at Brian who had been her friend for a while, seemingly one of the only soldiers around who didn't have an overly obvious God complex, paired with the male ego syndrome that was pretty prevalent around Atlantis. Don't get her wrong; here were some of the best people in the business, but some of them knew exactly how good they were. And she was pretty sure he had stuck around her because he thought she was cute. Whatever his reasons were, he had an ability to stand at the edge of what was frightening her or messing with her resolve and quietly encourage her to make the right decision without ever telling her what she should do.

She looked out over the water, watching as the waves pounded against the city. She loved this place. She had never felt as though she belonged, or that she was doing the right thing, but when she took a minute to examine the enormous beauty of Atlantis, and see the Gate and remember home and all that she was protecting, she just knew that this was where she was meant to be. Here, doing what she loved, with a really cute Scot with blue eyes that wouldn't quit and the biggest, most golden heart she had ever seen.

"I'm going to do it." She decided finally. "I don't want to put anyone else in danger because no one else would be able to do this."

Brian nodded, proud of her for making the right choice. He didn't want to see her hurt or killed either, which was why he gave her a clap on the back and a cheeky smile and said, "Yeah. And that's why I'm coming with you."

Laura looked sharply at him. "What?"

"Well, you didn't think I'd let you have all the fun." He responded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Leeds, you know as well as I do that this is probably going to get us killed." She reminded him angrily. "You're not coming. I can't let you."

"Fortunately, _Lieutenant_, you don't have a say in the matter. I'm not going to let you possibly go to your death alone. You're my friend, and fortunately, I'm just about as capable and field-trained as you are." He snapped stubbornly. "I won't let you die alone. I absolutely won't." A look of solemnity flashed over his face; he was remembering a long-dead comrade who had gone on such a mission, and had never returned. His body had been found, covered in earth. That same earth that that comrade had loved so much and eagerly tended to through gardening had ended up killing him, with a frozen shard of soil to the face when a bomb accidentally went off.

He wasn't about to let that happen to his bonny Laura who everyone loved, especially the doc.

He had never had real luck in love, but Laura and Carson? They were happy, happier than he'd ever been in any of his relationships, and he was going to bring her back to Atlantis so she and the doc could have all of those little Scottish babies he knew Laura secretly wanted. Well, more of the MAKING of the babies with Beckett, but that wasn't the point. He wanted her to be happy, and Beckett made her happy, and he wasn't going to let her die.

Cadman nodded, and sighed. "Thanks."

A somber moment passed between the two, and they had a silent understanding of each other, before Brian spoke up. "Come on, you need to come kick my ass in the gym. I need some practice."

She grinned, more out of relief than true levity, and led them away, already cracking her knuckles to beat down her friend.

**XXX**

"No, no, no, no!" Radek Zelenka protested as Rodney proposed his measurements for the new prototype of the explosive. "That is way too dangerous, Rodney! You know better."

"Actually, Radek, if we want to win this, we're going to need this firepower, and you know it! I know its dangerous, but I wouldn't do this unless it wasn't necessary, and I'm sorry, but I'm a little worried about, oh, I don't know, being blown up by the Wraith." McKay responded in his usual condescending way that only slightly betrayed his own frustration. Cadman (who he still wasn't BFF with) had agreed to do this, and Leeds had approached him a few hours ago, saying he was going with Laura, and if it was possible, Rodney would have made the explosives harmless to humans.

The only problem was that it wasn't possible, and the explosives were unpredictable. The data they had received from their countless tests was sporadic. There was no specific pattern to the amount of time it took for the explosion to happen. Every scientist on the project was on edge because no matter the differences between the military and the sciences, the Atlantians had come to care about each other, and didn't want anything bad to happen to anyone.

Radek sighed and adjusted his glasses. "I know." He admitted quietly. "Well, let's get started then."

Carefully and flawlessly, the two scientists adjusted the prototype to carry an almost exorbitant amount of the explosive material, and slipped in the water carrier and the small tank of compressed hydrogen. It was a task that took several hours, and their eyes and stomachs were aching after such precision work. But when they were finished, they plopped down into two available seats and sighed with relief. It was done, but their work might result in the death of two innocent people along with the Wraith and Asurans.

Rodney glanced uneasily at Radek. "This is all… going to turn out alright, right?" He asked nervously.

The Czech turned to look at his colleague, and saw some true vulnerability in the other man's eyes. He hesitated, and then nodded. "Right."

**XXX**

Jack wandered through the halls, without much to do, since he was only technically in an advisory position (or something like that, he wasn't even really sure himself). He despised this waiting. There were about thirteen days left until the enemy's first wave was on their doorstep, and everyone was going a bit nuts. He had seen Ronon and Teal'c 'assisting' most of the soldiers around Atlantis with their hand-to-hand abilities, because the soldiers needed to get their asses kicked to forget what was coming. He had seen several young couples (usually scientist/scientist or military/scientist) rushing off to private areas to be together, but despite feeling some relief in the knowledge that most of his people were finding ways to vent, he worried about Sam.

That was what he just did, right? He worried about her because he could never stop thinking about her. She wasn't the type to fight off her problems, and she didn't have a boyfriend to run off into a dark corner with. Most likely, she was still in her lab, running simulations and preparing for when they would disengage Atlantis from where it was floating and let the currents take hold, which was in two days' time. That was what his Carter did. She worked and worked endlessly. So, he worried.

True to form, Jack found Sam in her lab, bent over a computer screen and muttering various curse words in Goa'uld. He knocked on the wall next to the open door. "Hey there, Carter. Whatcha up to?" He asked as he came to stand beside her.

"Just a few other simulations." She shrugged slightly. "I'm a bit worried, that's all. We don't know if the other gravity facilities are working. We could just keep moving."

"But isn't continuous movement, at least in this case, a _good_ thing?"

Sam sighed. "I don't really know. I mean, if we kept moving, then its possible that the Replicators, despite their abilities, couldn't track us, but then again, they could map out the currents and anticipate our next move. And I don't know how the city's targeting systems would be able to cope." She closed down the simulation program and set the computer on sleep mode. "I just… don't have enough information."

"Don't worry about it." Jack said. "You'll figure it out."

"I hope so." She murmured, leaning against the counter. She stared at the flat surface, her mind conjuring up all sorts of dark images where Atlantis was destroyed because she couldn't figure this one problem out. They would all be dead, and it would be her fault.

Jack could see where her mind was going by her face, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Carter. Don't even go there. We're going to get out of this. We've beaten the Goa'uld. We've destroyed the Replicators once before, and you guys found a way to destroy the Ori. I think we can take down the Wraith." She looked about ready to respond and he shook his head. "No. We can do this. We've done this before. And we'll do it again."

"Thanks." She said, after a moment of pause where she took in his words.

"You're welcome." He gave her a quick smile, and then broke the deep, solemn mood. "I heard the Atlantis commissary has good Jell-O. Even good enough to please you. Shall we?" He tilted his head in the direction of the door.

"Sure." Sam smiled, grateful for what he was doing.

"Well, good." He nodded as they started off into the hallway. "If you had said no, then I would have just kept it all to myself. Well, I might have given Teal'c some. He understands me."

Sam looked down at the ground and smiled to herself as she followed Jack. It was amazing, really, how he could destroy her bad mood and make her smile with a few simple words. He was always aware of how she felt and what she was thinking. She didn't know how she would cope with a situation like this without him. She was well-aware of the fact she needed him, and had a surge of feminine pride because she knew he needed her too. Maybe someday they'd get the nerve to tell one another, but for now, this was enough.

**Please review!**

**And if you want a little preview of next chapter, here it is:**

"**You're my best friend, and I love you, Makran." She used the back of her hand to try and stem her tears. "I just can't lose you. Not now, not when I've just realized how much I need you."**

**And later…**

**She needed his comfort, and he was more than willing to give it. For one expanse of time, she allowed herself to fully crumble, and she sobbed into Jack's shoulder. Instead of recoiling at all from her show of emotion, he held her even tighter for it, and gently murmured into her ear, assuring her that everything would be alright, and he wouldn't let anything happen to her, or any one of their team.**


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis or Stargate: SG-1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis or Stargate: SG-1. The only characters that are mine are Captain Brian Leeds, Tallis, Makran, and any other various Kellans or characters you don't recognize.**

The clock was counting down; four days until the Wraith were at their doorstep, and the evacuation had begun. The few people who were injured were the first through the Gate, and Tallis was not far behind. Makran's condition had deteriorated, and he had begun to feel immense pain. His extremities were the worst; his grayed skin had begun to crack and split, and he was started to ooze blood through the fissures that had broken through to a vein, and he continuously had to receive blood transfusions. His ribs were slowly cracking, making his weakened lungs take only short, shallow breaths. Unless some cure could be found, he would die. Dr. Beckett estimated he had a month at the most.

General O'Neill and SG-1 had been working non-stop, making sure everything was in its place. Jack and Cameron were briefing new squadrons, as well as giving out postings. There were several artillery units that would be placed on the outer piers, as well as on the tops of towers, and teams in Atlantis, in the likely event that the enemy beamed down soldiers. Jack had already recruited the team he wanted in the skies above where he'd be fighting in Atlantis to fly the F-302s. And it was true; normally, generals didn't go into battle, but he wasn't about to leave Atlantis to fall. He'd also used every I-saved-the-world card he was still allowed to play and for some reason, the President agreed to let him contribute. He still wasn't officially leading, but that suited him fine.

Sam, Rodney and Radek were collaborating on plans to move Atlantis within a few days. Daniel and Vala were sent back to the SGC to oversee the movement of personnel back to Earth. Once everyone was settled and paperwork had been completed, which would take about two days, they would return to fight. Teal'c was put in charge of the quickest crash course in fighting Replicators that had ever been given. Jack got some amusement out of that; there was never anything funnier than seeing Teal'c beat up some of the best soldiers on Earth.

John mostly forced himself to rest, but when Elizabeth wasn't looking, he slipped out to help Cameron. Speaking of the leader of Atlantis, she was everywhere at once. In a space of an hour, she had spoken to Teyla and helped her and Halling get all of the Athosians together and sent them through the Gate to Earth, she settled a dispute between two scientists (without raising her voice), found Carson a battle hospital room, for the infirmary was too far away from the control room, and Elizabeth wanted to keep everyone close together, and she forced John to eat a huge sandwich. John could see she was getting exhausted, though, and did an even more impressive thing than anything Elizabeth had done in the last hour: he got her to rest. And all it had taken was a mind-blowing kiss and a pleading look.

Damn, he was good.

**XXX**

In one of the smaller locker rooms, one man stood in front of the mirror, completely alone. He had a white towel tied around his waist, though his hair and skin were completely dry. He had been standing there for at least an hour, unable to move from the weight of his crushing fear. He wasn't even thirty and he was going to die. He had watched McKay and Zelenka test their fancy explosive, and there was no guarantee it wouldn't blow up in his face the moment he activated it.

Brian didn't want to die.

There were still a lot of things he had left to do. He wanted to get married and have a family, and he definitely wanted to resign his commission and start his own business. He wanted to buy a house, and maybe a little winter cabin in Canada. He still needed to go skydiving and water-skiing, and he had lost a bet to his best mate, Doug, so he had to put on purple body paint and run through Central Park in only tiny short shorts. That was starting to look better and better compared to this whole dying thing.

But he wasn't going to back down. Why? Because Laura wasn't going to back down, and he wasn't about to let her go alone. She was stubborn as hell, bless her heart, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't go with her. But the whole heroic thing did nothing to settle his stomach. He'd already thrown up twice. He didn't want to die, and he hated feeling so scared.

Brian ran a hand through his dry hair and combed it. If he was going to die, he thought wryly, he might as well look nice. He slipped his dog tags over his head and found his pants. He almost felt as though he was watching himself dress and go through his routine, rather than actually doing it himself. The cotton of his BDU pants felt rough and foreign, and he hardly felt his shirt sliding down his torso as he pulled it on.

He was torn. On one hand, death seemed inevitable. On the other hand, he just really didn't want to die, and didn't want to accept death as a fact. His stomach tightened, and he calmly walked over to a nearby toilet to promptly throw up once more. Man, he was terrified, and it so wasn't good.

A knock came at the door as he stood up and washed his mouth out. "Brian, are you dressed?"

He spat the water out and straightened up. "If I say yes, will you come in?" He grinned as Laura walked in. It faded quickly as he realized Laura was going to die too. Well, they weren't going to die. They couldn't… except they were going to. He rubbed his forehead. "How you holding up?" 

"I'm okay." She shrugged. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm fine." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter." He glanced at his watch. "You should probably go see Beckett. The Daedalus is picking us up in a couple hours."

"I know." Laura sighed, walking to stand in front of him. "Brian, I just wanted to say… thanks for doing this. You don't have to, but you're coming anyway. It means a lot. I'd be a lot more scared if I was doing this alone."

Everything about Brian relaxed at that moment and he pulled her close. His throat closed up, and he couldn't find anything to say back to her. He didn't even know why it affected him so much. He wasn't the type to feel an extreme need to protect Laura, because it was Laura, and she didn't let anyone except Beckett take care of her. He just needed to hug her.

They were silent for a long time. Brian let his head sag down and leaned his forehead on her shoulder as she buried her face into his chest. She was one of his best friends, and they didn't need to talk about the deep stuff. She had her girlfriends and Carson for that, and he didn't really talk about himself much, but when it really mattered, he could count on her to have his back and to just let him be silent when he needed it. She understood that he couldn't talk about everything, but she was willing to listen to whatever he was willing to say.

"I'll see you up on the Daedalus." He muttered as he finally let go of her.

She smiled and pecked him on the cheek. "Yeah, see you." She said over her shoulder as she walked out, heading towards the makeshift infirmary near the control room.

**XXX**

Tallis had decided that she hated Earth hospitals. They smelled odd, almost too clean, and they seemed to be the location featuring her greatest sorrow and pain. She didn't suppose these doctors and nurses knew how gut-wrenching it was to sit at the bedside of the man you loved and know he was doomed to die within a handful of days.

She sniffed and wiped the tears from her face as she gently held Makran's bandaged hand, the gauze already showing signs of not holding back the blood. She'd been there when his palm finally split enough to allow blood to the surface. It had been the single most horrifying experience of her life. She was helpless to do anything, and Carson hadn't been able to do anything except bandage Makran's hand and give her an encouraging smile.

She hated this. She hated not being able to do anything except sit and watch him die. Tallis bit her lip, trying to distract herself from her emotions. On the tail end of what the Earthlings called 'puberty', she was still emotional and couldn't stop herself sometimes.

"Makran?" She asked softly as his eyes flickered open.

"Yes?" He breathed, his face too pale. It scared her to be able to see his veins, and how cracked and gray and green his skin was. She wanted him whole and well.

"Are you feeling any pain?" She found a patch of unbroken skin on his arm to gently rub.

He shook his head slightly and closed his eyes once more. "Am I going to die?" He turned his head on the pillow to look directly at her.

"I don't know." She answered honestly, and her voice cracked as her bottom lip trembled and fresh tears spilled over onto her cheeks. "This is unfair." She muttered hopelessly. "I just want you to feel better, and… and… and I can't even do anything to help you! And they keep saying there isn't much they can do for you, besides some sort of drastic measures… Dr. Lam said something about something called Tritonin, but I don't understand why she just won't make you better." She blubbered, torn between frustration and simple fear.

"You're my best friend, and I love you, Makran." She used the back of her hand to try and stem her tears. "I just can't lose you. Not now, not when I've just realized how much I need you." She laughed pathetically. "I'm falling apart when you really need me…"

Makran gave her a half-smile, but it was weak, and his eyes were slightly clouded over by the pain medication he had been administered. "No, you're not falling apart. You're stronger than anyone I know. And you're not going to lose me. Love just doesn't stop when one person dies. It can't." He gave her a wry grin. "But, I don't want to die."

Tallis giggled, feeling stupid at being so susceptible to his bad, ill-timed jokes. Really, who made jokes when one was dying? "Well, I would hope not." She gave his shoulder a tender little push.

"Do you ever miss home?" Makran asked quietly, reaching up to brush a portion of Tallis' hair from her face.

Tallis captured his hand and held it to her face. She had grown bolder with such innocent touches after some reflection and some assurance from Makran that he wanted her to hold his hand and touch his arm and he wanted her to feel free to express her love. However, he thought it was 'cute' (to borrow a word from their Earth friends) that she was so innocent and had no idea how she affected him.

After a moment, she shook her head. "No, not really. I miss my parents, and the people, but I don't miss the city as much as I thought I would. Atlantis has… become home." She said tentatively, as she had not fully let go of her old home yet. "I really miss my parents." She breathed with a sigh. "When I went back there with Dr. Jackson and Major Lorne, I… found my parents' bonding rings. It's hard to look at them."

Makran, knowing instinctively that this was her innocent way of prompting the conversation they had yet to have, smiled and nodded. "Why did you take them?" He encouraged her. He wanted her to feel comfortable asking him questions and bringing up somewhat hard-to-speak-of topics. He could easily bring it up himself, and he would have asked her sooner if not for being so ill.

"I…" Tallis bit her lip hard, trying to force the words out. She looked at him pleadingly, and his eyes were laughing at her. Oh, he was such a bully. "You know very well why!" She swiped him gently.

Makran grinned and laughed, but quickly stopped, as he found it hurt his deteriorating ribs. He allowed a solemn moment to hang between them as he looked into her eyes. She had the most interesting brown eyes he had ever seen; sometimes, they seemed greenish, depending on what color she wore.

He looked at her seriously and took her hand. "Tallis, I love you, and I want to be bonded to you for the rest of our lives. Will you be my wife?" He asked, slightly uncomfortably as he awaited her answer. He knew she would say yes, but it was ridiculous how scared a single question could make him. He was only nineteen, but he knew this was what he wanted. If he lived for only another day, he wanted to live it with her. She was awkward, innocent, naïve and sometimes childish, but she also had a great penchant for courage, compassion, loyalty and truthfulness. He would have no other.

Tallis felt happy tears spring into her eyes and she blinked them away. She leaned forward, ignoring the signs of Makran's illness, and kissed the corner of his mouth. "Yes." She, wide-eyed, answered him with a silly little smile.

"Well, good." Makran felt his heart swell as she laughed at his frank response. "I really do love you. You know that, right?"

She nodded, and the way her eyes shined in the low light was all the reciprocation he needed.

A few moments later, her face contorted into one of disappointment. "Oh, but who will bond us?" She asked, and she narrowed her eyes jokingly as he chuckled. "What?"

"I'm sure Dr. Jackson has already memorized our bonding and marriage ceremonies and is able to perform one better than most of our clerics." Makran stated, and gave the tips of her fingers and fond, tender squeeze. "Don't fret, Tallis."

"Fret?" She teased him. "Makran, 'fret' is too much of a book term for you. It might make your brain explode, and if that happens, it might stain my clothes."

"A tragedy." Makran agreed with her solemnly.

Their light-hearted conversation was cut short when Daniel walked in. He had come to check up on them every few hours as he rushed to make sure everyone was safe and settled back in the SGC, before he left to fight in the battle for Atlantis. He smiled at Makran as he stood by where Tallis sat.

"Hey," He greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm falling apart." Makran answered cheerfully.

Daniel raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "Well, I hope you feel better. You're looking better." He answered honestly. Tallis thought that was so amazing about Daniel; he was honest. That, or he was really good at lying, but he didn't strike her as the type of person to lie a lot.

Tallis smiled and, in an impulsive move, she reached over and adjusted Makran's blankets. He rolled his eyes at her. She poked his stomach. "Don't complain." She ordered with a grin.

Daniel looked between the two and noticed something was different. Makran seemed happier, and Tallis was nearly glowing, even though she hadn't moved from her friend's side for several hours, and they were touching more. He was also rather sure that if he left, they would be glued together at the mouth.

"What have you two been up to?" He asked, amused.

Tallis looked at Makran, her eyes pleading for permission to gush. Makran grinned, and she whipped her head around to look at Daniel. "We want to become bonded." She announced proudly, full of giddiness. Yes, they were young and would probably fight a lot once Makran was better and he was in no danger of losing his life. Yes, they would have little knowledge of how to make a relationship work, but Tallis trusted in the fact he loved her, and she loved him. They based their love on their strong friendship, and she was sure all would turn out well in the end.

Daniel smiled, and Tallis felt her heart swell. She would be content if only she and Makran existed and there was no one to share their relationship with, but it gave her a surge of feminine pride when someone approved of Makran, or of their relationship. It made her feel as if she had, for once, something lasting that was worth celebrating.

"That's great, you guys." Daniel continued to smile. "So, you're really going to keep him around?" He asked Tallis, who laughed.

"I know, I know, I'm settling!" She squealed as Makran reached over to poke her right underneath her ribs. She rubbed her side and sat back down, shyly looking up at Daniel. "We were wondering, actually… if you might perform the ceremony? There isn't anyone else, and we were sure that you had already memorized most of our culture." She gave the archaeologist a teasing look. "And it would be an honor." Staying true to her Kellan upbringing, she stood up and gave a half-bow of respect.

Daniel was taken aback by the suggestion, and thought it over quickly, in the span of a second. He smiled at the two teenagers and nodded. "I would be happy to. I feel honored you would even consider me for it." He answered honestly, as his pager beeped. "I have to go, but sometime tomorrow?"

Tallis glanced at Makran who cheekily said, "Well, I'm certainly not going anywhere." He grinned and nodded. "Thanks, Dr. Jackson."

"It's Daniel." He corrected, and then walked out, off to do some important business.

The two teenagers were left alone, and the infirmary was quiet, and there were no other occupants. Makran used the handy bed-controller to raise himself up into a sitting position and pulled Tallis closer to press a kiss to her mouth that leaned towards passion. A fire licked underneath her skin and she ran a hand through Makran's hair as his hands found her waist.

They loved each other, and felt they should not be denied the pleasure of bonding, but they were still stuck in a limbo between adolescence and adulthood. Hormones, and all.

**XXX**

Back on Atlantis, Sam was troubled. She was worried her plan wouldn't work, and she was worried the bomb Rodney and Radek had created would end up destroying two of the best soldiers they had. Though she wasn't in charge of that project, she would hold herself accountable if Cadman and Leeds didn't come back.

There wasn't much else she could do until tomorrow; they would move Atlantis then. She could only sit and brood in her lab. She was currently sitting in one of her "swirly" chairs and hadn't touched her tray of lunch, and it was almost two o'clock in the afternoon. She didn't think her stomach could handle it.

She had faced a lot of enemies, and fought a lot of battles. She had seen war and had somehow found the strength to continue and finish what she had started. It wasn't in her to back down, but every time, she wished she didn't have to fight. She was tired of the constant death and fear of losing one of the people she loved. She trusted that Cam, Teal'c, Daniel, Vala and Jack all knew what they were doing, but people still died in battle. It could be any one of them, and it would devastate her.

She brought her knees up to her chest, glad for a rare moment of privacy. She wrapped her arms around her legs and closed her eyes. She was exhausted from running around and getting everything ready for the battle, but she just couldn't stop. Now, there wasn't anything more she could do, and her thoughts were getting away from her. If she wasn't careful, she'd start crying. She wasn't one of those odd people who thought crying was for weak people, but she was far from weak, but she didn't want anyone to walk in on her and see her. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down and think of happier things, but, as usual, that didn't work.

She would be strong when the time came to fight and defend Atlantis. She always was, when it came down to the wire, but for now, she needed to fall apart a little bit.

She sat completely still and allowed her fear, pain and insecurities bubble to the top and let tears fall. She didn't weep with heaving sobs, but she let the tears come and hoped they would relieve some of her stress. She cried silently for all she might lose, even if they managed to win. She wouldn't count the day as a victory unless her entire team was intact and in one piece.

Honestly, she didn't know what she would do without them. They were her support, her rock. Cameron was her slightly odd brother who was a double-edged sword; he was both a protector and a funnyman who could release the tension of a situation; Vala, the girlfriend she'd been lacking for a long time. Teal'c was the elder brother she could rely on for strength, and Daniel was definitely the friend who helped her to stay together through the ups and downs of life. And Jack… he was who she leaned on when her world threatened to fall apart, when she felt as though she was drowning and needed someone to save her.

Without any one of them, she wouldn't be whole. Losing one of them would be like losing a family member. She didn't think she could deal with losing them after losing her mother, father, and Selmak (who'd become like family).

She turned her head away from the door and let her slender frame tremble slightly. She was so scared, and even though she was known for her smarts, she wasn't sure if she could save them all. This didn't even come down to her; she would be fighting on the ground, only one of many soldiers. John would end up saving them all with the chair. If he failed, it was a fact that they would most likely fail and be destroyed. She hated to admit it, but there was a good chance she, and everyone that had ever really mattered to her, would die within the next week, depending on how long they managed to fend off the inevitable.

The door hissed open, and she jumped, letting her legs fall to the floor and straightening up. She wiped her tears away hastily when she saw it was Jack. He had a stack of files in his hands, and he looked like he had come to her for some advice on whatever was in those files. His face turned solemn and he put the paper aside and knelt down in front of her.

"What's up, Carter?" He asked softly, his dark brown eyes looking straight into her eyes.

She swallowed and looked away. "I'm scared." She admitted quietly.

"We've pulled out of situations like this before." He reminded her, his voice still barely above a rumbling murmur.

"It doesn't help." She told him, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I know." Jack looked at her for a moment, and then, almost contemplatively, wiped away a tear track from her face. "Come here." He said in the same, soft whisper as he always had, and she willingly melted into his arms.

She needed his comfort, and he was more than willing to give it. For one expanse of time, she allowed herself to fully crumble, and she sobbed into Jack's shoulder. Instead of recoiling at all from her show of emotion, he held her even tighter for it, and gently murmured into her ear, assuring her that everything would be alright, and he wouldn't let anything happen to her, or any one of their team. He reminded her that they were strong, and they had the force of Atlantis' soldiers behind them, as well as Sheppard and his team. He swore to her that he would protect their team, and that he would return all of their friends back to her, safe and sound. He promised her he would return to her.

Her tears subsided, several long minutes later, and she raised her head up, lighter than she had been. She pulled away slighter, her arms still gently around Jack's neck, and his hands still on the curve of her waist. His thumbs tenderly rubbed small circles on her abdomen as they looked into each other's eyes. And, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, Jack leaned forward and their lips met.

Neither of the two were emotional wrecks. They had their baggage, but they weren't dying for someone else to ease the pain. They were their own people, with their own dreams, goals and aspirations, but at the end of the day, their lives needed to converge or they weren't complete. Jack and Sam had known this for a while, but they needed the time to know for sure, to make sure it wasn't a relationship that would end when things got bad. Now was not the time for future plans, but there were some things that needed to be said, and they both felt the shift in the mood when Sam drew away, her eyes glittering.

Jack, though his knees were protesting, stayed kneeling, and dropped his hands to rest on her knees. "Sam, I love you, and I don't think I could wait another minute for you to know that."

"I think I've known it for a while." She admitted. "I was scared to lose you, or that you didn't want me." She looked at him shyly, like a much younger woman who had not seen so much. "I love you, too."

Jack smiled at her, and then slowly stood up, wincing as his knees protested slightly. She stood up with him and hugged him. They both found peace in each other's arms. Sam definitely wasn't okay with leaving things as they were when there was a battle within the next several days, but she supposed anything further would have to wait until after.

"Don't worry," She told him as she tentatively rubbed the back of his neck. "I won't let this interfere with my decision-making skills." She teased him.

"I'm not worried about that." He chuckled, his breath tickling her ear. "So, what are we going to do about us?" 

Sam drew back as he did to look into his face. "I don't know. I never really thought we'd actually talk about our feelings, and I didn't think of where it would go from there." She titled her head to the side. "Do you want to be with me?" She asked, unable to stop smiling as she looked at him. She was still afraid of what the next few days would bring, but he loved her, and had said it to her face.

Jack shrugged. "I guess I'll keep you around, Carter." He drew her closer to him. "I just said I love you, I think that kind of states my intentions."

"Not necessarily." She teased him.

Jack shook his head. "Let's wait until after we solidly defeat the Wraith and the Replicators. Is that enough for now?" He asked her. He was willing to make those decisions with her immediately, but they both had a lot to do, and he didn't want to give her promises he couldn't keep, since they both could die. He also didn't want to give himself promises he couldn't keep.

Sam smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah. It's enough." She gave him one last, long hug. "I have to go. I promised Rodney I'd look over his equations. I'll see you later."

Before she walked out the door, he caught her wrist and brought her back for one last kiss. "I love you." He reminded her, and she responded in kind.

No matter what the next days brought, he would fight even harder. He had yet another reason to protect Atlantis.

**XXX**

The next four days ticked by slowly, but by the time the third day had come to dusk, Atlantis was ready to fight for herself. All of the soldiers were in place, and all but the essential personnel had been evacuated to Earth. The Gate would dial itself immediately after thirty-eight minutes, if they were ever blocked out by the Wraith. The shield and cloak had both been tested and checked. ZPM in place, the only thing needed for the battle was the enemy. The Odyssey and Daedalus (complete with Cadman and Leeds) were already cloaked and in orbit. The ground teams were placed in strategic positions throughout the city, ready to strike at beamed down opponents.

All that was left was to wait, and it was keeping everyone's nerves on edge.

John had nothing to do but prepare himself. He had his vest, and his P-90 would be near his feet as he sat in the chair, in case he had to defend himself. He had a few marines to guard him, but he wasn't about to take chances. He was determined to protect the only place he'd ever really felt home, and he would do it.

He stalked down the hallway, unable to contain his frustration, and nearly ran into Rodney.

"Oh, hey, Sheppard." The Canadian greeted, seeming to be agitated himself. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, as much as I can be." He responded, wanting to go attempt to beat up Ronon to relieve some stress, but he needed to be in top form. He needed to beat on something; his skin was nearly itching from stress.

"Good, good." Rodney was staying, along with Radek and Sam, to do whatever technical things they could. He was obviously on edge as well. "You nervous?"

"Yeah, a little bit." Sheppard responded wryly. "You?"

"Oh… oh, I'm fine. Completely fine." Rodney's voice was at a slightly higher register, an obvious sign that he was lying. Not that John would have believed him otherwise. "Elizabeth's going nuts. You should probably calm her down." He suggested.

John nodded. "I'll go in a bit. She needs some space." Yeah, especially after she'd nearly bitten his head off. She was under more stress than he was, so he didn't hold it against her. She'd kiss it better later. He was looking forward to that. Hehe.

The two men walked in relative silence for a long time, until Rodney looked up at his friend. "We're going to be okay, right? Like… we're not going to die, are we?" He asked worriedly. Underneath his spiny exterior, he was courageous, and terrified out of his mind at dying. He usually didn't show it, but John was his friend.

"Not if I have something to say about it." John answered with strong determination lacing his tone. "And I always have something to say about it." He lightened his voice, and grinned smugly.

Rodney snorted. "Typical. Always assuming you're in complete control." He puffed out his chest slightly. "You know it's going to be me saving Atlantis in the end, right?"

"Right, Rodney." Sheppard rolled his eyes behind Rodney's back. "Whatever you say."

"It's true!" The astrophysicist was now arrogantly starting a diatribe, and Sheppard wasn't really listening. If Rodney felt comfortable enough to tirade about nothing in particular, he knew they'd be alright.

Well, he hoped. It was the Wraith and the Replicators, after all.

Speak of the devil…

"John, Rodney!" Elizabeth's voice snapped through their earpieces. "They're here."


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. I really don't.**

John and Rodney reacted immediately. The scientist hurried to the nearest transporter and made it to the control room within a minute. Sheppard sprinted towards the Jumper Bay, where he'd lead a squadron to help out the Daedalus and Odyssey and flank the two ships, and would be beamed back onto Atlantis. A million thoughts were racing through his mind, and his heart pounded in his chest; he needed to calm down or he wouldn't be able to fly well.

He tapped his radio as he ran. "Elizabeth, what's going on up there?"

"_They're arriving in orbit, and attempting to lock onto us. We've been cloaked and actively floating for about twenty minutes. The Daedalus and the Odyssey are cloaked, also in orbit. The Daedalus is awaiting General O'Neill's order to beam Captain Leeds and Lieutenant Cadman onto the leading Hive ship."_

"Okay. Tell the Daedalus we'll be up to help them out in a few minutes." John responded in a calm tone that spoke of confidence. He was starting to take on his pilot's manner already. His heart was beating at a regular pace, and his thoughts were bottlenecking to only allow the most necessary ones through.

John heard Elizabeth sigh, and he felt a pang of concern for her. She wouldn't leave until the very last second, and he didn't want something to happen to her. He'd never thought he'd come to need someone as much as he needed her, but it had happened. He knew she worried for him too, and that was why he wasn't taking any chances.

"_John… be safe."_

"I will." He murmured in return. "I'll see you when this is all over."

**XXX**

Brian had been up in the Daedalus for four days, and was getting antsy. He knew he was going to die, and he was starting to come to accept the idea. It still made his stomach turn, but he was composed and calm. The schedule of his last few days had been for him to wake up, go through his morning routine, run a few miles on the treadmill, and then meet Laura. They would go through simulations with a computer program, compliments of Rodney McKay, with a randomized result as they dragged small icons into different positions to decide how they would blow the ship.

It had taken countless hours, but they had come up with a brilliant configuration. The only problem was that it took them all across the largest Hive ship that would be teeming with Wraith, but the benefits were beyond imagining. If the ship went off as McKay predicted it would, the explosion could take out most of the first wave of the fleet, and a lot of the battle would be over.

Brian rubbed his eyes as he pulled his vest on. Two marines were likewise getting ready on the other side of the room; they were all that could be spared and sent on a potentially suicide mission. He wondered if they had families, and if they wanted the world to stop as much as he did. He sighed and leaned his forehead against the locker after closing it.

"You okay there, Leeds?" One of the other men asked over his shoulder.

Brian straightened up, blinking quickly. He hadn't cried over the situation, and he didn't like how his eyes were burning uncomfortably. He glanced back at one of the marines and nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine." He wasn't fine, but he didn't have much of a choice. He had about half an hour until he would go to his death.

"See you out there." The other man clapped Brian on his shoulder and they left him alone.

Brian sat down on one of the benches in the locker room, fully dressed in black BDUs and his utility vest. His legs felt weak and he didn't know if he'd be able to walk all the way to the control room and if he'd be able to set up the explosives. He swallowed, and jumped as the door opened and Laura walked in.

"This is the men's locker room." Brian deadpanned.

Laura smiled half-heartedly. "I know." She sat beside him and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "I came to check up on you. Are you going to be okay?"

"I don't know." Brian shook his head, staring at the floor. He was quiet for a long while as he tried to find some words. "I'm freaked, Laura. This is what I'm going to do, but I'm still scared. I just… really want to go home." He admitted with a wry laugh. "How about you?"

She nodded, looking away uncomfortably as she fought to stop her lower lip from trembling. "Me too. I don't even want to think about what I'm leaving behind." Her voice was tight as she recalled saying goodbye to her boyfriend.

_Laura grit her teeth and forced herself to walk into the infirmary. The doors slid closed behind her, and Carson Beckett looked up. His face clearly showed that he had heard of the project, and of her intentions. He knew her too well, after all. He knew she'd agree to it. _

_Without a word, she rushed forward and he caught her in his arms. She buried her face into his neck and clung to him. She was scared, and she didn't want to leave Carson to die. This was so unfair for him, but he wasn't about to argue with her. He didn't want to lose her either. They held each other for a long time until Carson spoke._

"_You're really…?"_

_Laura nodded wordlessly._

"_And I can't…?"_

_She shook her head._

"_You know I love you."_

_A nod._

"_And that I will always love you. I'll miss you when you're gone, but you'll… you'll come back." He breathed into her ear. _

"_I love you too." She replied in a tiny voice. "I'm so sorry, but I have to." _

_Carson smiled, his pain fleeing from his face to dwell in his eyes. "I know, and I understand."_

_They stood in each other's arms for several long minutes until Carson found another doctor to cover for him, and they went to one of the piers and sat there together. They talked for hours, of the past and their future, and what they each wanted and needed. Laura cried as she thought of how she might die, and Carson cried with her as he thought of losing her._

_But soon enough, the time for her to leave came, and she parted from him with a deep kiss, another whispered, "I love you" and she had to force herself to leave. He watched her as she walked away from him, possibly for the last time._

Brian rubbed her back as she quietly sucked in several breaths to calm herself down. She leaned her blonde head on his shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Her arm went around his waist. She toyed with the fabric of his vest, melting into his embrace as he pressed a kiss to her head.

"Nothing's going to happen, Laura." He murmured. "I won't let anything happen to you."

She nodded. "Thanks, Brian." She sat up and wiped her face and straightened her t-shirt. "I'm going to be okay." She smiled at him and covered his hand with hers. "What about you?"

Brian smiled tightly, but there was some relief on his face. "Yeah, I'm going to be okay. Don't worry about me. We've got our plan, and we've got some guys who got our back. I'm alright." He stood up and helped her to her feet. "Caldwell'll like us even more if we get there early, and we got… twenty minutes to spare."

When they left the locker room, they were two professional soldiers who had a mission to complete.

**XXX**

John was sitting in the pilot's seat, with one of the original Atlantis expedition members in the co-pilot's chair. He was leading his cloaked squadron from the cloaked City of the Ancients. His co-pilot was chatting on the radio, checking positions and making sure everyone was ready to go so John could focus on leading the way.

"… and Colonel Sheppard is ready and rarin' to go." Said his co-pilot.

John raised his eyebrow. "Yeah, let's not get too excited."

"Far from excited, sir." The co-pilot grinned, full of nervous, frightened energy. "More like… terrified for my life, but hey! I live on the edge."

The colonel smirked. Yeah, he was glad he picked this particular man. His name was Michael Summers, and he was a sergeant in the Air Force. He was a first tenor in the Air Force choir, and also played French horn for the orchestra. He was twenty-nine years old, and was one of the most courageous men Sheppard had seen outside of his team. Summers had been out in the field on PX3-881 in the Milky Way, and had, along with Major Lorne, gone back into a Goa'uld controlled area to save SG-17. Sheppard had needed someone to have his back, and to lead his men well, in this situation, and thought Sergeant Summers was a perfect choice.

"Well, calm down, there, sergeant. We got a long battle in front of us." Sheppard reminded the other man, as well as himself. He needed to focus. His bottlenecked thoughts only allowed those pertaining to the battle ahead through. There wasn't time for laughing or funny, snarky remarks. It was a time for fighting to protect what was theirs.

Sheppard broke through the atmosphere and settled into a steady pace towards his position just to the starboard side of the Daedalus. His team hovered in their positions behind him, and Sergeant Summers checked locations and glanced at John to give any last moment reminders.

"Just pay attention, kids. We're hoping we don't have to fight at all, and that they'll pass by. However, this is the Wraith. Showtime when they lock onto Atlantis and fire the first shot."

A myriad of voices answered with dull, "Yes, sir"s.

John opened up a communication channel with the Daedalus. "Daedalus, this is Colonel Sheppard. The Jumper fleet is in position and has their orders."

Caldwell's voice responded. "Very good, Colonel. We are ready to beam you to Atlantis."

"Thank you, sir. I'm ready when you are." He glanced at Sergeant Summers, who grinned.

"Don't worry, sir, I've got this covered." He assured his commanding officer. "Get a couple Hive ships for me, eh?"

"Yeah, I'll…" John was cut off as he disappeared into a beam of light.

When he opened his eyes to finish his sentence, he was standing in the control room, facing Colonels Carter and Mitchell, Elizabeth, and Teal'c.

"Glad you could join us." Elizabeth told him wryly, and he couldn't suppress a smirk.

Carter looked at Sheppard from her mountain of computers and technological gadgets. "Teal'c's going to go with you to the control room and he'll be leading your guard."

"Guard?" He asked. "Makes me sound like a king."

"Don't get cocky, Sheppard, because you're not." Rodney's caustic voice cut in, as he and Radek entered the control room. "You should probably go," He drawled. "Because any moment, the few Asuran ships they have with them could lock onto us at any moment."

John nodded, serious once more. He took several steps towards the stairs that went down to the chair room, when he turned and looked back. He met Elizabeth's beautiful, expressive eyes, and he gazed at her for several long moments. He hoped she understood everything he couldn't tell her at that specific moment, and he could only really hope he managed to survive this so they could fully be together. The IOA had to find out sooner or later, after all, and he had promised her they could go directly to Richard Woosley… after this was all over.

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and for a moment, John thought she might let a few tears fall, but the moment passed, and he turned away and went down the stairs, the large Jaffa following him silently.

"Are you certain you will not require medical attention while you control the chair?" Teal'c asked in his usual stoic, and yet, concerned, way.

John looked up at the dark-skinned alien. "I'm sure." He stated confidently. "It just kicked me out because Atlantis didn't need defending. It'll work this time."

"For your sake, Colonel Sheppard, I hope you are correct."

"Yeah," John ran a hand through his hair. "Me too."

Teal'c turned his head to look at John. "I have the utmost confidence in your abilities. O'Neill and Colonel Carter have spoken most highly of you, as has Dr. Weir. Though," He considered his words for a moment. "I think her opinion of you is more than slightly biased."

John grinned and shrugged. "I guess." He paused. "Does… everyone at the SGC know about us already?" He asked, slightly worried. He and Elizabeth wanted to tell the authorities themselves, and if the SGC already knew… Landry wouldn't tell anyone, but someone else might.

Teal'c inclined his head. "Indeed." He appeared contemplative. "I believe O'Neill has won a large sum of money from Sergeant Harriman, who believed you would form a relationship with Teyla Emmagen."

John shook his head, still grinning, but his smile dropped away as he passed by the two marines guarding the door. One of them handed him his P-90, and the door closed behind him. He quietly accepted the situation and set his gun down on the floor. He looked around and moved to stand on the chair's base, making it light up.

He tapped his radio. "We're here."

"Good." Colonel Carter's voice responded. "Wait for my signal, and then sit down and fire away." She paused for a long second, and then continued. "Good luck, colonel."

"Thanks. You too." He answered, his voice tight.

"John?" Came Elizabeth's tentative voice.

John glanced at Teal'c, who inclined his head and walked out of the room. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Is this a private channel?" He asked wearily.

"Yes. And I'm in my office." Her voice carried a hint of a smile, and John nearly groaned as he imagined her smiling without a care or look of worry. He missed her already. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Don't worry about me, Elizabeth." He assured her. "I will be fine. I won't let anything happen. I'll protect you and this city."

"I know you'll try," Her voice hitched, and John felt his heart rip apart at that innocuous sound that was a small hint at the pain she felt. "But what if… what if something happens? And you can't stop it… what if you get hurt?"

She wasn't normally so vulnerable, but she was scared. So was he, and right now, she needed him to tell her that everything would be okay. She needed him to be selfless, even though it was his life on the line. She had a quicker route to safety, and she would likely live, though there was always a chance… but him? He would be the reason she would need to get to safety.

"Elizabeth, listen to me." His voice was fierce with passion; passion that he felt for her. "I care about you, and to me, that's all that matters. I will save this city because doing that will save you. Be strong for me and lead us well, and I'll see you when this is all over." He sounded pathetically breathless, and he was running out of words, and he felt like an idiot because he couldn't comfort her. One wasn't comforted out of fear like Elizabeth felt.

"Okay." She sounded impossibly small at that moment, and he was filled with such love for her that his heart was fit to burst. He understood now was not the time to say those words because they would mean less than they would if he said then in his right mind, not burdened by fear or his impending death. "Be safe, John."

"You too." He let out a sigh. He was about to say something else when she cut in.

"I'm so sorry, I have to go. There's a problem with the gravitational facilities, and Daedalus says the leading Wraith Hive is preparing to fire, as well as the Asuran mothership."

**XXX**

Colonel Carter's face hardened in determination as she typed away at her computer, mentally attempting to force the city to respond to her commands, but it simply wouldn't. Where Atlantis had been stationed seemed to be the only working facility, and now, they were floating wherever the currents saw fit to send them. She tensed in frustration, and then turned to Dr. Weir.

"It's not working." She reported with a sigh. "I think the years of salt water has finally worn through the Ancients' technology and it just won't work, and I can't think of what else to do."

Jack turned to her and nodded. "It's okay, Carter." He assured her, and then turned to McKay and Radek. "Ideas?"

Radek looked a bit bewildered at the entire situation, but he shook his head gamely. "No, I can't think of anything we can do. We don't have the time to fix this situation. We can only turn the power of the ZPMs to the cloak, and then to the shields and weapons." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I suppose we just have to hope Captain Leeds and Lieutenant Cadman can do their job, and do most of the work for us."

**XXX**

Brian stood in front of Colonel Caldwell, Laura by his side. His palms were slick, but his face was stoic and composed. All he would allow himself to think of was how this was just another mission. He had one of the best partners someone could have in his field, and they had a plan that was going to work. It didn't matter that he probably wasn't going to come back from this. It mattered that Atlantis, and Earth, would be saved by his actions, and that was worth dying for. He thought of his brother, and his sisters, and his friends. He thought of his elderly grandmother who thought he looked so handsome in his dress blues. He thought of his tiny nephew, and was somewhat at peace because they would be safe. Nothing else mattered.

"You know what to do, and we'll do whatever we can to help you." Caldwell finished his version of a pep talk and looked at them seriously. "Last chance."

Laura glanced at Brian and then with a wry tone said, "I speak for both of us, sir, when I say we're doing this."

Caldwell nodded, and stood. The rest of his crew did the same, standing at attention. Brian didn't like how solemn everyone was. The colonel saluted. "Good luck, and we'll beam you back on board once you give us the signal."

Brian and Laura saluted in return. "Thank you, sir." He said gratefully, and Caldwell nodded.

"Prepare for beaming." He gave the order.

Brian closed his eyes at the odd sensation of having his matter beamed away, and when he opened them, he was faced with a big, ugly Wraith.

"AH!" He let out a surprised yell, and raised his handgun. Two shots directly to the head ended that problem, but he looked at Laura. "Let's go."

He picked up two cases of forty individual explosives, as Laura did the same. He gave her a serious look and then nodded. He sprinted off in one direction, her, the other, and they would meet back in that spot within five minutes. He ran harder than he could ever remember doing. Every so often, he would drop to his knees and cut away a section of the wall. He placed the bomb inside, and then kept running. He encountered Wraith every so often, but quickly shot them down. Most would be congregated around the control room, but he was worried a bigger group would be sent out when these ones didn't come back. That spurred him onward.

He tossed the two black cases into another hall as he placed the last explosive inside. He activated the tiny initiator that was placed on each and saw the green light flash. It was ready. He swallowed and got up, running back to the meeting place. He worried and fretted irrationally until Laura came running around the corner.

"We have to move, I've got five on my six." Together, they went around the other corner, using their guns to kill the five Wraith that had followed the blonde.

"I killed all of mine!" He complained over the gunfire. "Why couldn't you?!"

"They came at once, what was I supposed to do?" She snapped, taking down the last Wraith with a well-placed bullet to the heart.

The high of battle faded, and they stood up. Brian took her hand, surprised to find hers trembled as much as his did. He held the single activator in his other hand, and the green light was blinking as it did on the bombs. He met her gaze.

"No regrets?" He whispered, scared to press the button himself.

"No regrets." She answered.

Brian nodded. He tapped his radio. "Colonel, we will be firing in three… two… one." He pressed the red button, and the light changed to red. The bombs were set and could go off at any time.

They waited with baited breath for five seconds… ten seconds… fifteen seconds… and nothing happened. Brian grinned and tapped his radio once more. "Colonel, you can…" He screamed in agony as he felt flames from the explosive lick at his back. He tackled Laura, covering her entirely with his body and burying her face into his chest.

In a split second, Brian embraced death, and accepted he would die as a hero.

**XXX**

The remaining Wraith Hive ships and the Asuran motherships locked onto Atlantis and fired, just as Sam switched the cloak to a shield. She reached out with their sensors and couldn't help but grin. "Out of the fifty ships that arrived, only four remain." She turned and glanced at Radek and McKay. "Good work, boys."

McKay looked pleased with himself, until his face fell. "What about Leeds and Laura?" He asked, frightened as the first hit jarred Atlantis.

**XXX**

John felt the first hit, almost as though it had hit his own body. He threw himself into the chair and fell into the systems. He embraced the feeling of another consciousness around his own, until he felt it begin to reject him. He fought the sensation, and slipped away from his physical body. He became as one with the city, and wrestled with it. He would not fail, but he was beginning to weaken.

Before he lost consciousness, his physical body breathed one word, "Atlantis…"

Those in the control room tried to contact him, but they received no word.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine.**

_Tallis never thought her bonding ceremony would be something like this. She was dressed in a clean set of BDUs, and her hair was hanging loosely down past her shoulders. Her husband-to-be was lying in a hospital bed, too weak to move, much less stand up, but his eyes were shining and he was sitting up, with the aid of the mechanical bed. The cleric overseeing the ceremony was dressed in black BDUs and didn't carry the holy book that was accepted as the book of truth. Another girl might have been disappointed, but Tallis had grown up in three years, and she didn't need the fancy clothes, elaborate meals or anything. She just needed to be bound to Makran, and she could be happy. She smiled brightly as Daniel walked in the door, and Makran's hand found hers._

_He smiled gently at the two. "Are you ready?" He asked them, and was about to start when another voice interrupted. _

"_Kellan ceremonies require a witness." Tallis looked up to see Peryn, and would have flinched if he didn't look so different._

_It was still Peryn, and he still had black hair and stunning green eyes. He still had his angular features and muscular body, but he was different. He didn't wear a permanent scowl on his face, and was even smiling slightly as he leaned against the threshold. It had been months since either she or Makran had seen him, since he was living on the mainland with the Athosians. Time with another people had changed him._

"_I'm sorry for questioning you, Tallis. It was… wrong of me." He seemed to have some trouble forcing the words out and swallowing his pride, but he managed it, along with a deep bow._

_Tallis, unable to find words, looked down at Makran. Her friend looked at Peryn and then nodded. "We do need a witness. Please, come and sit." Makran's voice was weak, but Peryn seemed to notice the challenge and the warning in his tone and stood at the foot of the bed, at Daniel's left. _

_Daniel glanced at Tallis and she nodded tightly. The archaeologist cleared his throat and began. "The bond that can exist between two people can accomplish great things, and cause them to weather things others cannot. The bond between Makran and Tallis has done just this, but a bond can only last forever if it is set into place by words of love and devotion. Speak those words now, to each other, to begin your life together."_

_Tallis looked down at Makran, as it was custom for the man to begin. He cleared his throat as well and held both of her hands. "Tallis, I have loved you for many years, and I will seek to love you more, to protect you to the best of my ability, and to always care for you, to the end of my days."_

_Tallis tried to contain her tears, but they made her eyes glassy, and she blinked at them, and they slipped down her cheeks. Her voice was shaky and uncertain, but she was no less sure of herself than she had been when she had discovered she loved him. She wanted to be with him. "Makran, I am very new to this great love I have for you, but I know, beyond a doubt, that I wish to share my life with you. You have always been there for me, and I will forever seek to help you carry your burdens. I do love you."_

_Daniel smiled, and continued the ceremony. "Makran, do you swear to protect this woman and share everything you have and you are with her?"_

"_I so swear." He answered strongly._

_Daniel turned to Tallis. "Do you also swear to share everything you have and you are with him, and enrich his life in every way?"_

_Tallis' smile was watery, and she seemed to be every inch the blushing, teary-eyed bride. She nodded. "I so swear this."_

"_Then, let the rest of your days together be filled with joy and prosperity. May the Kellan spirit cloak you, and let the stars in the night sky be your blanket when you have nothing. Let the wind be your guide when you have no destination, and let your love for one another be your foundation when all else crumbles around you. Remember my words and heed them, and your bond will last until the end of time. I say, in front of this witness, that you are bound to one another, never to be apart, and let it be so." Daniel finished and his smile turned to a full grin when Makran pulled Tallis down for a kiss, her cheeks stained with a blush._

Tallis grinned at the memory as she watched Makran sleep peacefully. His condition was once again deteriorating, and it pained her to think of it. It all seemed so unfair, that he would die just as soon as they were bound, but she would not have had it any other way. If he was to die, she would have him for what little time they were allowed. She held his bandaged arm as the pale blue vein on the underside of his forearm had burst through and sang quietly. He stirred slightly, but settled into a deeper state of sleep, unconsciously aware of her presence and her safety.

Her stomach rumbled, and she stood up, knowing a meal would be good for her. She had been nervous for the ceremony (odd as that was) and hadn't eaten breakfast. The mess hall at the SGC was notorious for its delicious Jell-O, and she thought that Jell-O, with a sandwich and chocolate milk (her new obsession), would be perfect.

Mere seconds after she left the infirmary and was in the hall, she heard the comforting sound of Makran's heart monitor stop. She paused, her face blank. No… he couldn't be… he couldn't be. Then chaos erupted behind her as Dr. Lam and her assistants tried to save Makran, but Tallis feared that it would be impossible. She collapsed against the wall, staring at the opposite wall, but seeing nothing.

**XXX**

John was in a blank white room. There really wasn't anything special about it, except it made him feel like he was in a psych ward of some hospital, but as far as he knew, he wasn't crazy and he wasn't even on Earth, so there was no reason for him to be in a white room. He looked around and tried to take a step, and found himself frozen. It reminded him of some nightmares where something terrible was happening, but he couldn't stop it or yell out for help. That didn't bode well for him.

"Why are you here, John Sheppard?" Came an eerie voice, somewhere inside of his head. "Why do you seek to take control over the weapons of Atlantis?" The voice chuckled humorlessly. "Why do you try to take power over what you could hardly take responsibility for?"

"I'm not trying to take power over it, and I'm not trying to control it. I just need to use them for a little bit so Atlantis doesn't get destroyed." John snapped angrily. "Whatever the hell this is, let me go!" He struggled as best he could with his mind against whatever was holding him still, but he didn't move at all. He wanted to scream, but found all breath had been stolen from his lungs.

"Atlantis is in no danger. Well, not danger that you could stop. Evil like those you face is not destroyed or turned away. It is merely stemmed, as a dam stops a river and diverts it elsewhere. Danger will return again and again, and there will come a time when you cannot stop it." The voice easily pulled out John's fears of inadequacy and his own inability to protect Elizabeth and everyone he cared about.

But John had once told Teyla that he would do anything for those he cared about, and right now, Elizabeth would be in danger if he didn't do something, and he wasn't about to let whatever this was get in his way.

"Let me go!" He tried to yell, but it came out as the barest whisper.

"I am under no oath to you, John Sheppard; I do not have to do as you say." The voice seemed to be taunting him, and it was pissing him off. He had things to do.

"Just show yourself. This voice-in-my-head crap just won't fly." He ground out.

"Very well." In front of John appeared a man dressed in what John could only assumed what was Lantean fashion. "Who are you?"

John furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, United States Air Force." He answered hesitantly. "But you knew that."

The man nodded, dry humor apparent in his eyes. "True." The man paused. "What is your purpose here in my city?"

"We're explorers." John began, but the man cut him off.

"No, that is why the others are here. They are here to explore, to learn and to understand more about the universe and themselves. But you… you were not brought here for that. Another overlooked your past and brought you here, and I sense you know you will never find another home."

John was rendered speechless for a moment, wondering how this man could know that, and the man continued speaking. "You remind me of myself, in some ways, John Sheppard. I once was as angry and violent as you are now. I sought my enemies, those who would endanger those that I loved, and I ended the threat in any way I could. And the moment you truly believed the one you loved was gone… just as I did, you tried to save everything she ever cared about. Unlike me, however, you were lucky, and she wasn't really gone."

John was reminded of a stormy night, and the memories of it threatened to overturn whatever was left of his calm. Tears burned behind his eyes as he thought of how he had nearly **lost** Elizabeth. Now, he could lose her if he didn't move fast enough.

"If you know so much about me, let me go. I have the city to protect, and I will not misuse the weapons." He nearly begged. He was desperate. If he awoke in the chair and Elizabeth had been killed… he wouldn't be the same. He would really lose it without her.

"Misuse is not what I worry about." The man stated, his voice once more composed and condescending. "I cannot simply give you permission to use all of our terrible and powerful weapons. You must past the test."

"What test?" John had time to ask that one question before all went dark for him once more.

**XXX**

It was only Rodney's gentle, though awkward, hand on her shoulder that kept Elizabeth Weir from bursting out into girlish sobs. John wasn't answering his comlink, and no weapons were being fired. She shouldn't have allowed him to sit on that blasted chair! She had seen what it had done to him, but she still let him take such a stupid risk when they could have found a way to get around the necessity of the chair… this was all her fault. However, now was not the time to dwell on her guilt, and she took several deep breaths.

Something called Rodney from Elizabeth's side, and Jack took his place. He put a reassuring arm around her briefly and then looked at her as Rodney yelped, "They've entered Atlantis!"

Jack's face was unreadable, and he was already in battle mode. "We have to go."

"Good luck." She whispered, and Jack nodded. He led his team – Sam, Mitchell, Daniel, Teal'c and Vala – out of the control room.

Daniel hesitated before leaving. "Don't give up hope." He told her, and then picked up his P-90 and followed Jack.

If only it was as easy as Daniel made it seem, Elizabeth thought as she sighed. She gathered her composure and crossed her arms over her chest. Though she didn't carry a gun, she was as much a part of this fight as SG-1 was. She kept a stiff upper lip and turned to Rodney.

"Open a channel with the Wraith Hive ship." She ordered, her voice unshaking.

He nodded, and did as she asked. An image of the Wraith queen and what was probably an ambassador from the Asuran fleet came up on the screen and she straightened up. Her face was stern and commanding, and she knew exactly who she was. She was the leader of Atlantis, and they were not going to fall to the Wraith and the Replicators.

"Cease this attack on Atlantis, now, and we will not destroy the rest of your ships here, as well as the wave that arrives in three weeks." She stated simply, not needing a speech to get her point across. She had been a negotiator for so long, but right now, the Wraith were the cause of John's death, and she wasn't in a negotiating mood. It was either: the Wraith surrender, or they were all destroyed. There was no room for mercy in her heart.

The Wraith queen laughed, and hissed. "You think that we cannot destroy you now, even with so few ships?"

"That is exactly what I think, because I know your puny forces are nothing compared to ours. With one blow, we destroyed most of your fleet, and we can do the same with the rest of you." Elizabeth spat, though she was still well controlled. The amount of venom in her voice would have made anyone less than a stereotypical evil leader cringe.

The Replicator laughed mirthlessly. "You are hopelessly weak. You will not survive." He stated haughtily. "You will lower your shield or we will unleash all of our fury onto you."

Elizabeth smirked darkly, and the only emotion on her face was condescension. "Very well." She nodded to Rodney, who cut the channel. She walked to the railing and leaned against it, feeling exhausted, all of the sudden.

"That was intimidating, Elizabeth." Rodney commented with a tiny smile.

She gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and wondered if anything would matter to her anymore, now that John was gone. She did love him, and she needed him more than anything. She needed his carefree smile, his dry humor, and his ability to bolster her strength with his never-ending well of determination. She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to remain strong, because that's what she needed to do.

**XXX**

"Mitchell, take Daniel and Vala. Go left." Jack ordered easily as Sam fell into step behind him as they went right.

"Come on, Jackson." Mitchell's accent was slightly thicker, as he was under stress.

The two teams separated as they crept down the hallways. Jack had gotten a moment's look at the relative positions of the Wraith and Replicators, and he knew that two people could better ambush the larger group than all five of them. He glanced over his shoulder at Sam once, and she gave him a grim look. Right now, she wasn't the woman he was in love with. She was a fellow soldier, and he needed to make sure she was in fighting condition. She was, as she always was, as she nodded to him.

Using a hand signal, he told her to stay there and wait for him to take the first shot. He noiselessly climbed the nearest staircase and peeked over the railing where the Wraith were waiting. Apparently, one had been looking to see if anyone was there, and he ducked as one tried to shoot him. He pushed himself to his feet and quickly shot down one. Carter saw his shot, and took down a Wraith before moving from her position to behind another pillar. She moved around and let another Wraith have it. One appeared behind her and hit the back of her head. She let out a cry and fell down, but landed on her side and managed to kill the Wraith before it could shoot her. She stood up, closing her eyes briefly against the pain and turned her attention back to the battle.

Within a few more minutes, she and Jack had taken down all ten Wraith with no injuries to either of them, except for when she had been hit. Her head felt like it was swimming, and she was incomparably dizzy, but she would manage. She let out a sigh of relief as Jack joined her.

"You okay, Carter?" He asked briefly, and when she nodded, he didn't press her further. "Good. Let's go." He tapped on his radio. "McKay, location!" He snapped.

"The west pier is littered with life signs. If they're Replicators, there's not much we can do." McKay reminded them.

"McKay, dial Earth and ask Landry how the new ARGs are coming. Ask him to send anything… even prototypes that haven't been tested. We'll need everything we can get." Sam told Rodney, rubbing her forehead in stress. It had been a great day when they'd known they'd never have to face Replicators again… and then they came to the Pegasus galaxy.

Jack took a second to look at Sam, and all he had needed to know that something was really wrong was to hear her voice. Another might not have realized anything, but he did. Her voice trembled slightly, and had almost cracked twice. Her eyes weren't focusing on anything, and he was worried for her.

"Carter, can you do this? If not, you need to be out of action so you don't get hurt or hurt anyone else. You know that." He put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze.

Sam took a deep breath and assessed her pain level. She then shook her head. "I'll be fine." She assured him.

"Good," His voice was, for a moment, light. "Because we have some Wraith to dispatch." His eyes hardened, and together, they ran off to the west pier.

**XXX**

Unfortunately, Cameron, Daniel and Vala didn't have such an easy time with the group of enemies they ran into. Usually, it would have been easy, if the enemies weren't Replicators. Vala was trying to find a way to fend on particularly mean brute off, and Daniel was trying to help her. That left Cam with two to take down himself, but considering they were Replicators, he was trying to find a way to run away without having them pursue him.

"Mitchell, we need to get out of here!" Daniel ground out as he shot several more bullets into the Replicator.

"I know that, Jackson!" Cam snapped in return. "Get yourself and Vala to the nearest transporter; I'll cover you." As Daniel and Vala started to run off, he let loose on the Replicators, but found one took hold of the barrel of his gun and smashed it. He swore, right as a Replicator fist smashed into his face, and blood spurted down his face, staining his clothes. That was the least of his worries as he quickly went unconscious as he was slammed against the wall.

**XXX**

"_Seventy-five percent of his body is covered in burns, and burn injuries get infected very quickly. He might not last the night with the way he's reacting…"_

"… _she hasn't woken up… might never…"_

"… _four Replicator ships… most of the Wraith…"_

Brian Leeds floated in and out of consciousness, and then into the land of the living once more. His eyes opened fractionally, and the first thing he saw was a nurse. She had been watching over him, and had obviously noticed his lucidity. She knelt down by his bed so he wouldn't have to move his head, as his head and neck were severely burned. She smiled worriedly at him, and said something he couldn't quite understand.

"What?" He croaked, and she gently touched his hand and repeated her words.

"You're on the Daedalus, Captain Leeds… you're going to be okay."

He nodded slightly, and closed his eyes, fully prepared to fall asleep and stay that way throughout his entire healing process, but then he nearly had a heart attack from fear. His eyes shot open once more. "Where's… where's Cadman?" His dry throat was screaming in protest, but he had to know. If she was dead… he didn't know what he'd do. He'd sworn to protect her.

The nurse smiled once more at him. "She's absolutely fine. Thanks to you, she was hardly injured before we managed to beam you both out. You took the brunt of the blast, and she has second degree burns on her legs, and some of her hair was singed." She replied with a soft, comforting voice that assured Brian that everything was going to be fine. "You, on the other hand, captain, are very burned and you need a lot of rest. Now, go back to sleep."

"At-atlan…" His throat just couldn't take it, and he couldn't speak anymore.

The nurse picked up a glass of water and a straw and put the straw to his lips. He drank as much as his nauseated stomach could handle as she talked. "Atlantis? The battle is still going on, and the Wraith and Replicators have beamed down, but SG-1 is leading a strike against them. We're having problems with the Replicators, but once Area 51 brings the ARGs, everything's going to be fine." When he was done drinking, she put the glass down. "Now, sleep."

"Mmm…'kay." He murmured sleepily as he obediently closed his eyes and felt the nurse's gentle hand touch some of his unburned skin as he floated through peaceful dreams of summer days and lakes from his childhood.


	22. The Key to Atlantis

**Disclaimer: It just isn't mine.**

A heartbeat later, or perhaps it was a lifetime later, John's eyes opened, and he was no longer in the frighteningly white room. Instead, he was in an upscale ballroom, mindlessly expensive chandelier and all. There were around a hundred other people, and when he glanced outside through a nearby window, he saw it was night. Utterly confused, he looked down at himself.

He was dressed in a black suit, complete with not-too-fruity black bowtie, and his shoes were shinier than they ever were in his real closet. John deducted this was the test, but it made absolutely no sense. He was better dressed than he had been on Earth, and nothing about the room had him suspecting anything was wrong. He was even holding a flute of champagne. However, he didn't let himself relax, and didn't take a sip of the drink. He handed it off to the nearest waiter.

John crossed his arms over his chest, watching people pass by until the music, which came from an unknown source, switched to a song he remembered vividly as one of Elizabeth's favorites. Suddenly, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, and he turned to face… what was Elizabeth doing here?

But oh Lord, she was gorgeous.

She was in a simple black dress with a matching necklace, but he wasn't paying much attention to that. He was subtly examining the hand on his shoulder. It was her left hand, and there wasn't anything different about it, except she wore a gold band on her third finger. A surreptitious glance down to his own left hand confirmed it; they were both married, and he could only assume to each other. His heart leapt at the idea. He did love her, after all. Such things followed in a natural order.

"Well, fancy meeting you here." John commented with a grin as he reached up to cover her hand with his. "May I have this dance?"

"Yes, you may." She answered, her eyes dancing at his lightheartedness.

John led her to the dance floor and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he held her hand to his chest, and they swayed together to the soft music. Her breath gently brushed by his skin, and he allowed himself to indulge in this fantasy; a marriage that wasn't broken, and a wife who didn't despise him, and this wonderful feeling that this beautiful life wouldn't ever end. Most of all, he allowed himself to indulge in the prospect of having all of that with Elizabeth.

"John, I love you." Elizabeth whispered in his ear. "I can't imagine life without you."

He looked down at her, and her eyes peeked up to meet his gaze. A tiny smile curved at her lips, and he smiled, pressing his lips to her forehead. "I love you, too." A lump formed in his throat. "So much." His voice nearly cracked. He didn't understand why he was here, in this fantasy. **His** Elizabeth needed to be saved; Atlantis needed to be saved. He couldn't…

His thought was cut off as black overtook his vision once more.

When the darkness faded away, John once more looked at his surroundings. He was in a large suburban home, dressed in an Air Force sweatshirt and jeans. The living room was tastefully decorated with light beiges, light green and floral yellow all across the walls and furniture, and when John turned around, he was facing the kitchen.

There, at the kitchen table, sat Elizabeth, with two children. They were decorating cookies. The small girl, with messy brown curls and brown eyes, giggled as she used her finger to eat some pink icing. The older boy, with well-tamed, black hair, was painstakingly drawing a perfect smiley face on his cookie, and Elizabeth laughed as she stood up. She saw John, and picked up a large plate.

She approached him and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for mowing the lawn, John." She held up the plate, her eyes teasing. "Want a cookie?"

He picked up a chocolate chip cookie and broke it in half. He ate one half and offered her the other half. She raised an eyebrow but allowed him to feed her. John noticed some of the melted chocolate had gotten on his thumb. He smirked as he smeared the chocolate onto her cheek.

"Oh, you!" She huffed and tried to wipe it off with the back of her hand.

John stopped her, and then proudly proceeded to kiss the chocolate off of her cheek. "There, much better."

The two children, watching this exchange between their parents, appropriately "ewwww!"ed. Elizabeth laughed and looked back at the kids.

"Go wash up; lunch will be ready in a few minutes." She looked severely at both of them. "If I see one cookie has been stolen, both of you will be grounded. Those are for tonight!"

The little girl hopped off of her chair and grumpily said, "Okay, Mom…"

Her brother followed her, and then glanced to see if his parents were watching. He quietly dashed to the table to take a cookie, when John spotted this.

"I don't think so, young man." He shook his head. "You heard your mother; go wash up!" The words felt foreign and odd coming from his mouth, but they were so wonderfully mundane and normal that it gave him an odd rush. He'd always thought about having kids… but seeing it in front of him made him want it all the more. Elizabeth was such a natural mom, and any children that came from her would be perfect. His mind was filled with possibilities; he could ask for a transfer to a place in the States. With his new status as a lieutenant colonel and his record for heroic efforts in the Pegasus galaxy, he was sure he'd get something safe and good. He could also hope that General O'Neill would put in a good word for him and pull some strings. The man was accommodating like that. Or he could resign from the Air Force altogether and start his own business. Something with planes, definitely. Maybe helicopters.

John hugged Elizabeth close to him, not caring about the flour on her floral apron. He couldn't find any words to say to her. She was beautiful and glowing with their two children. Their children were… gorgeous. He wanted this life. He had always thought he was fulfilled, being in the Air Force, but seeing this… he knew exactly what was missing from his life.

Elizabeth pulled away, her eyes shining, and opened her mouth to give him some happy news, but before the fantasy could go further, blackness reigned once more.

This went on for several times. John would awaken to some new situation with himself and Elizabeth. Sometimes, there were the same two children. Sometimes, there was a third. Other times were sometime during his and Elizabeth's courtship, taking place on Earth. But no matter what the circumstances were, John would be shown a new part of his relationship with Elizabeth that he didn't know he needed, but all the while, he remembered it wasn't real, and Atlantis needed him. Elizabeth needed him. He couldn't keep pretending, and he knew that, but the visions he saw made him ache. He wasn't sure how long it continued, but he felt as though he had lived a lifetime by the time he was in the white room, facing the man.

The lifetime he felt he lived made his heart shatter in his chest. He wanted to return to it, and he wanted to immerse himself in the certainty of marriage to Elizabeth. He loved her. God, he loved her so much it caught him off guard, most of the time. He wanted the real deal with her; he wanted everything.

The man was solemn. "All of this could be yours. If you so choose, your mind will live in this world, and it will be as though the battle ends well, and you and your Elizabeth return to Earth, and you will have the life you so desperately want."

John didn't want to admit it, because he considered himself the heroic type, but that option was looking really, really good. He opened his mouth to reply, but the man stopped him.

"Or, you may choose to fight, and possibly lose your life. You are not what you call an Ancient. Your brain might not be able to stand the strain, and you may lose the battle." John didn't even want to _think_ about failure. "Choose now; there is not much time."

John's mind was in turmoil. He knew what the correct decision was; he should fight. But it wasn't the easy decision. He wanted that life with Elizabeth, the one where they lived to grow old together, and they had three children in a suburban house and their lives were no longer in constant peril. He tired of always fighting without a vacation, but he wasn't about to allow anyone else to take his place in Atlantis while he got some much-needed sleep.

Did he want to risk it? Did he want to try and fight?

No, he didn't want to. But it was what he had to do, because it was his duty. He was the military commander of Atlantis, and he was its protector. He would fight because that was what he was needed to do.

The man smiled wryly as he read John's choice on his face. "You have passed the test."

"What?" John asked incredulously. "That was it?"

The man nodded. "It was an easy decision for you to make, but you are not the norm. You are the exception. Most others, upon seeing their heart's desires, would have fled from the real world to a world of dreams. Most would have acted selfishly." The man spat out. "My people and I placed a lock into the systems of the chair. Only one of our own could hope to take control of the weapons, but a selfish man would never be given permission to do so. It would be too dangerous."

"So," He went on to explain. "We created a program that would read a heart's true desires, the things that weather both time and the storms of life. Those desires would be shown to the person in the chair, and they would have to make the choice: fight or live in their desires."

"The key to Atlantis, Colonel Sheppard, is the willingness to lay down your life for those you have been entrusted by the highest power to protect. Above that, there can be no more honorable thing." The man faced John solemnly. "Now go; you have passed the test, and now you must fight. I wish you luck."

John's eyes opened one last time, and he was back in Atlantis. He sat upright in the chair to rub his eyes and allow his racing heart to slow. He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming, but he was pretty sure if he'd tried that in the fantasy world, it would have still hurt. He shook his head to get his thoughts in order, and then sat back in the chair. It lit up at his touch, and he focused.

All of the systems were open to him, and his mind searched for the ones he needed, the ones he remembered from some distant life or some memory he didn't remember gaining, gathering them to the forefront of his mind. From there, he took a deep breath and stretched out with the sensors as though they were his own hands and fingers. He felt the four ships (he felt the contours of the space they took up; he felt the organic and non-organic substances underneath his fingers) that were left – three Asuran ships, and one Wraith Hive – and took aim at the Wraith Hive. He couldn't destroy the Asuran ships, so he might as well blow up would he could first.

**XXX**

Laura Cadman was blissfully unaware of the pain she should be in. The nurses had told her that Brian had tackled her and knocked her unconscious, and she'd been hooked up to an IV ever since then. The battle had been going on for about four hours, and she'd been out for thirty minutes of that. Brian had been out for pretty much the entire time, and she'd managed to convince a few nurses to let her move to the bed next to Brian's. Her burned legs weren't in that much trouble; compared to Brian, she had gotten a scrape when his entire leg had been lopped off. He'd saved her.

She was in a new state of humbleness because of the man lying asleep to the side of her. He had saved her life. Sure, they would have both been obliterated if the Daedalus hadn't beamed them on board, but Laura had seen burn victims. Most in Brian's condition didn't survive.

He'd saved her by taking the blast for her, and covering her with his body. She could vaguely remember the blinding fear of hearing the explosion, and then feeling his body, a mass of solid muscle, slam into hers, and seeing the wildly afraid look in his eyes. She didn't remember hitting the floor of the Wraith ship, but she could only assume he'd used his legs to protect hers as best he could, and curling his arms around her head and neck. When she pictured it in her head, she didn't understand how he could have had such a clear-headed moment. All she remembered was panic and fear. He'd saved her life, possibly at the cost of his own.

She sat up, mindful of her IV, and looked at him. He was covered in bandages from head to toe, and he lay on his stomach because his back had been hit badly. His face was turned towards hers, and she studied his features. His face was the least burned, and she took in his sharp, masculine jaw, and his high cheekbones, and what was left of his cheerful blond hair on the top of his head. He was so young, barely older than she was… he couldn't die. However, she'd been in the Pegasus galaxy long enough to know that he probably would die. Life was just cruel like that.

Her lower lip trembled, and she cried bitterly for her friend who had pretty much sacrificed himself to save her. She cried because she didn't know if he'd wake up, and she held in the sobs that threatened to rip from her throat because she loved him so much. The happiness she felt at surviving such a suicide mission and the elation that welled in her because she'd see Carson again couldn't compare to her grief.

"D'cry… La'ra." Brian slurred, and Laura's whimpers ceased immediately as she looked at him, wide-eyed. His body trembled slightly with a laugh. "Ya l'k… like a… kid like th'."

Laura rolled her eyes at him, giggling with him, wiping her tears away. "Thanks." She looked up for a nurse when one came to Brian's side and examined him. She laid back, careful not to bend her legs too much, or even use them, if she could help it. She closed her eyes and fell into the wonderful abyss of modern sedation. Brian was okay, she'd see Carson again, and Sheppard was giving the enemy hell with the chair. Everything was going to be okay.

**XXX**

The control room in Atlantis was chaotic. Elizabeth Weir was calmly giving orders for technicians to relay to different teams, and Rodney was barking locations for teams who had dispatched groups of Wraith. Everyone in the control room could see wounded being brought through the embarkation level through the next door, which led to Beckett's battle infirmary. Elizabeth had to close her eyes and stand still for a moment to keep herself calm when she saw Cameron Mitchell being carried by Daniel and Teal'c, who had been brought into the fray by Daniel (who wisely had realized they needed him), and then what seemed like an eternity later, Vala Mal Duran was brought past her, carried like a broken bride in Daniel's arms, who looked like he might have cried if he had had the strength.

Other teams brought their men, and though there were not as many casualties as one might have expected, Elizabeth knew each and every one of them. She had ordered them to go off world, and had seen their struggles and victories. She had seen those men and women stand up to the Wraith and give the aliens hell for what they did to innocent humans. She had seen these people party it up during every Christmas and every holiday, every karaoke night where one of the female soldiers and Chuck would insist on singing some duet from High School Musical, and every game night that was always full of bets (Dr. Wright was still hurting from losing his collection of Seinfeld DVDs). She had witnessed these people's lives, and now, some were gone.

Still, she continued on with one thought keeping her strength flowing. The weapons of Atlantis were being used, and that meant John was alive. She didn't distract him or herself with a quick check-up call through the comlink. She would see him after the battle, and after they won this wave of the battle. She grimaced as she remembered the second wave, and wondered how they would fend off the Asuran ships. She wondered how they would hold up against the Asuran naquadah bombs.

"Elizabeth!" Rodney caught her attention. "We need those ARGs. Teams are easily taking down the Wraith, but we don't have any effective weapons against the Replicators."

She nodded, and looked at Chuck. The young man was already in the process of dialing Earth (since he was practically psychic and could read her mind…) when the blaring alarm went off.

"Incoming wormhole!" Chuck announced, his voice oddly calm for such a crazy situation. He typed on his computer, awaiting some form of identifying, his hand wavering over the shield deactivator. An identification code came through. "It's the SGC." His entire body relaxed slightly, and he lowered the shield on Elizabeth's order.

Through the event horizon came an unfamiliar face, and following the Air Force officer were several carts of nondescript boxes. The man walked up the stairs to the control room, two at a time, and saluted to Elizabeth.

"Dr. Weir," He greeted her grimly. "Colonel Peterson. The SGC sent me with the prototypes for the new Anti-Replicator guns. They haven't been tested, and Area 51 says they're transitory prototypes, and probably won't be completely effective," Peterson allowed his face to show some hope. "But one can never know."

Dr. Weir nodded. "Thank you, Colonel. You are free to go."

He shook his head. "With your permission, ma'am, I'd like to join a team and help."

"Thank you, Colonel." She glanced at Chuck. "Recall all teams and give them the news. Tell Captain Warnke his team will be led by Colonel Peterson."

"Yes, ma'am." He responded before giving the call to every team out in the halls of the city.

Two minutes passed, and a sweaty, slightly bloody General O'Neill stumbled through the door, followed by an equally exhausted Colonel Carter, Dr. Jackson (who had dried blood on his upper lip from a bloody nose) and Teal'c, who remained surprisingly unscathed. Jack raked his hand through his silver hair and let his P-90 hang from his shoulders. He went to the nearest black box and opened it, taking out the anticlimactically small gun.

"A bit more streamlined than the other ones, aren't they?" He asked, moving the gun from his right to left hand, and then back again.

"I'd say." Sam picked one up, and then handed one to Daniel and one to Teal'c.

Daniel accepted it with a breathless, "Thanks."

Jack looked up to the control room and his gaze fell on Dr. Weir. "You guys okay in here?" He asked as Colonel Peterson snapped to perfect attention. "At ease, airman." He returned the salute casually.

"Yes, we're…" Elizabeth was cut off as Rodney interrupted.

"Sam! You might want to come up here!"

Sam ran up the stairs, followed by the rest of SG-1. "What is it?"

Rodney ran a hand through his hair. "The city's starting to tilt. Without the gravitational facility, it's just prey to the currents."

Sam stepped around to Rodney to his computer, to do what she could with what little resources and options she had to fix the problem. Right then, it seemed the Asurans found the control room, and thought it would be great to add to Atlantis' problems.

Jack knelt down behind a column and starting to take shots with the ARG. Several soldiers positioned in the Gate room did the same, but the Replicators weren't being taken down. Jack was almost too enthralled with the battle to see they were starting to get too close to the stairs. He left his cover and ran to intercept them. He squeezed the trigger of his P-90, sending bullet after bullet into the body of a Replicator. Finally, its parts were disturbed enough to fall apart in a shower of silver dust. He simply turned to the next one and did the same; a blast of ARG, sprinkle with bullets, and enjoy silver dust au Asuran Replicator.

Daniel and Teal'c joined Jack, defending the stairs, but one managed to get through. Jack watched in slow motion as the Replicator made it to the top of the stairs, into the control room. Sam pushed McKay aside, as the scientist didn't have an ARG, and Chuck unceremoniously shoved Elizabeth behind him when he saw the Replicator was headed for her, identifying her as the leader. The Air Force technician turned to Jack.

"General! Throw one!" He shouted.

Jack responded immediately and tossed his ARG to the younger man. Chuck caught it flawlessly and turned it on the Replicator. Chuck gave the Asuran two solid blasts, and then pulled out his sidearm from his thigh holster. He squeezed the trigger four times before the Replicator fell apart before his eyes. His shoulder heaved as he took in several, ragged breaths. He lowered his gun and holstered it, turning the safety on out of habit.

He offered Elizabeth his hand, as she had fallen from the force of his push, and helped her up. "You alright, Dr. Weir?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, Chuck." She replied breathlessly. She regarded him seriously. "Thank you."

Chuck gave her a serious look, and didn't return the ARG when he saw General O'Neill had not only found himself a new one, but was handing them out to the control room personnel and the teams that were coming in to get their new guns, and then leaving to fight. He lowered himself into his chair and continued his survey of the sensors, and of the power expenditure. The two ZPMs were holding up magnificently, and he supposed it was either really good luck they just happened to come upon a small civilization with a ZPM or someone up there had their backs.

SG-1 gathered at the bottom of the stairs, and Jack looked to Sam for a report. "I've modified the inertial dampeners to act on the exterior, and so we're stabilized for now, but if the shield gets hit too hard, we'll feel it." She adjusted her vest. "But the problem's solved for now."

"Good work, Carter." Jack risked a quick, playful wink, and then looked at his team. "Ready to head back out there?"

Sam nodded, her face pale and strained, and Daniel did as well, in much of the same state of Sam. Teal'c inclined his head, stoic as always. Jack took a deep breath and let it out.

"Move out."

SG-1, as one unit, walked to the nearest door and went to enter the fight again, as they had done so many years ago.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I don't own it

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

Carson Beckett had never been so calm in his life. It might be callous, but he was completely shut off from his emotions. If asked later, he wouldn't remember most of the injuries and people he tended to that day; it all blurred together into one constant rush for medical information and ability.

For a long stretch of time, his infirmary was completely empty except for medical personnel and the two marines posted at the door. For the stretch of time, Carson allowed himself to worry and fret and be fearful for his friends. He paced slightly, and double-checked make sure everything was in order for when casualties started to come in. He didn't show it, but he was about as terrified as the newest nurse, Shelly, who seemed to be on the verge of tears, but was holding it together valiantly. He gave her shoulder a warm squeeze and smiled at her, and she nodded to him, biting her lower lip and summoning up all the courage she had in her petite form.

After making his rounds to all of his staff, checking on each of them, he found his white lab coat and slid it on over his blue shirt. He slipped on a pair of latex gloves, and steadied himself. He could hear faint gunshots and screams, along with the sound of creatures dying, and he closed his eyes. With several deep breaths, all he knew was that he would have patients soon and he would be ready. He reminded himself that he would be a mourner later; as of this moment, he was a doctor.

Slowly, patients started to trickle in. There were mostly Wraith victims, who had been fed upon, and there was little he could do for them but make them comfortable. He left those patients to his nurses as the most frightfully wounded ones started to come in. There was Teyla with a broken arm and a shoulder that'd been burned by a Wraith weapon, limping heavily on her left leg because her right foot had been smashed by a Replicator. Then came in several soldiers who weren't part of Atlantis' normal team, so Carson didn't know them. One was already dead, and one had been smacked around by an Asuran.

Several minutes or hours later, Daniel Jackson carried in Cameron Mitchell. His face had been punched in by a Replicator, and the blood wouldn't stop oozing from the Air Force officer's nose. He was unconscious, and the cartilage of Mitchell's nose has been shoved almost all of the way through his skin. As gruesome as it was, Carson merely asked for another pair of latex gloves and immediately got to work. He didn't know if any cartilage or bone had been pushed into Mitchell's brain, so he took this patient on. He calmly started to perform surgery after a quick scan with an Ancient scanner, which thankfully showed no brain damage.

Carson found his hands constantly busy for several eternities later until Daniel walked in once more, carrying Vala as though she was a broken child. Her face was pale, and her eyes were half-closed, but Daniel was softly talking to her, keeping her awake. Her words were slurred, but her eyes were bright with alertness and pain. From her shoulder seemed to pour blood, staining both her clothes and Daniel's clothes. The archaeologist laid the woman down on the table and turned to see Carson.

"A Wraith managed to get a hold of a nine-millimeter and shot her in the shoulder. I don't think the bone is broken, but the joint is probably messed up." Daniel's voice was tight and barely controlled. His blue eyes were wild with a thousand emotions Carson couldn't interpret.

Dr. Beckett nodded. "Thank you, son. I think you need to rest." He stated as he started to work on Vala. He chuckled as she mumbled a few sexual innuendos as he began cutting away the clothing near the gunshot wound. A nurse handed him a sheet that he tucked around her upper body to provide some modesty.

"No, no." Daniel shook his head and pulled his glasses off to rub his eyes. "I need to get back there." He glanced over his shoulder, as if he sensed Teal'c's presence there. "I'm coming. Where are Jack and Sam?"

"I believe O'Neill and Colonel Carter are down the hall, dispatching a few errant Wraith scouts." Teal'c said. "Dr. Beckett, are you certain the infirmary is secure?"

Carson looked up. "Yes, I'm sure, thank you, Teal'c." He answered curtly; his normally friendly face was cold and stoic as he went about removing the bullet from Vala's shoulder. He had injected some anesthetic, but there wasn't enough to give entirely numbing doses, so he had to close himself off from everything, even the look of pain on his patient's face.

The two men left the room to find the other two members of SG-1, and once more, Carson was alone with his medical staff. He hardly even noticed the passage of time, and he did his best not to think about the passing of two men under his care, two men he knew personally. He only allowed himself to think of them as statistics and numbers; when he was alone, he'd remember them as friends.

Beckett looked up as a nurse called him over to a bed nearest the door. He slipped off his current pair of gloves and put on a new one, because it would do no one any good for him to mix two patients' blood and possibly spread a disease. He looked over the patient and then smiled, giving the nurse a few instructions: change the dressing, inject the patient's IV with cocktail 1A of drugs, and check on the patient in bed four. Carson noticed another patient going into convulsions and he was so involved in forcing the patient's legs to stop flailing that he didn't notice the two guards getting shoved aside by three large Wraith.

Carson turned around when the patient was calmed down, and was frozen for a long moment in fear. He saw a Wraith that reminded him of Michael (though every Wraith seemed to remind him of Michael) and didn't know how to respond. His eyes wide with fear, he tried to swallow but he found his mouth was dry. When the two other Wraith went for two nurses who were doing their best not to scream, Carson acted. He, along with all of the other doctors and nurses, was armed, and he pulled out the nine-millimeter gun and delivered three fatal shots to the Wraith's head. His actions spurred three other medical personnel to act, and the other two Wraith were killed.

Carson swallowed, once again finding his mouth was dry, and ordered three nurses to make sure the guards were okay, and asked two male nurses to remove the Wraith bodies.

That episode over, time seemed to blur once more, and Carson went back to tending to his patients. Even something as terrifying as almost dying had to be pushed aside. There were vulnerable patients who needed his help, after all.

**XXX**

At the very far end of the commissary sat one teenage girl, her head down on her arms, and a half-eaten sandwich in front of her. Her pale skin and the dark circles under her eyes were testaments to the fact she hadn't slept for the longest time. She didn't really remember when, to be honest. There were times when she sat completely still that she felt as though she was dreaming, and times when she would have a terrifying nightmare that she perceived to be reality, only to wake up and find herself in the quarters they'd given her at the SGC.

Tallis really didn't know what was real anymore. She was so terrified that Makran would just die and leave her, and she didn't want to face that pain. She had already lost so many people; she didn't want to lose him too. He was everything to her; he was the arms that caught her when she stumbled, the source of all things humorous, and he was the one she turned to when the world seemed to crumble around her. That's how it had always been, and she thrived on such constancy.

A few tears trickled from her eyes uncontrollably, and she wiped them away as she straightened up to take a half-hearted bite of her sandwich. She chewed, swallowed and laid her head back down. She felt physically sick with fear. Before, it had been her best friend so sick… now, it was her husband. She squeezed her eyes shut as memories of their simple ceremony came rushing back. It wasn't supposed to be like this! He was supposed to get better.

"Tallis?"

She sat up, her eyes wide as she regarded Dr. Lam. Her lips quirked slightly in an attempt at a smile. "How… how is he?" Her voice cracked slightly.

Carolyn's face was grave as she took a seat across from Tallis. "He's not doing too well. We've been working on a cure, but nothing seems to be working. There is one last thing we can try, but I'd like to ask you about it."

"What is it?" Tallis asked wildly. "There's no reason to talk about it, just do it!" She knew she was too upset, but she couldn't help it. She gave Dr. Lam an apologetic look as she folded her hands in her lap, trying to calm down. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Carolyn's dark eyes glittered with an emotion Tallis couldn't name for a split second, and her doctor's face returned. "There is a medicine called Tritonin, and it basically replaces someone's immune system. But, the person has to continually take it for the rest of their life. We've only used this medicine for Jaffa, to replace their symbiotes, but there's no reason it shouldn't work for anything else."

Tallis looked up at Carolyn and swallowed. "Please; if there is anything you can do, please…" Aside from that broken plea, she couldn't articulate anything, and she had to force back her tears. She didn't know how to cope with this. She didn't know how she'd cope with losing Makran, either. She was pretty sure there was a hefty moral dilemma in administering Tritonin, but Tallis couldn't care less at the moment. She just wanted Makran alive and well, and it didn't matter the cost.

Dr. Lam nodded. "Alright." She stood up, and then gave Tallis' back a gentle touch. "It's going to be okay." She assured the young woman who was more of a girl at that moment, and smiled slightly.

Tallis swallowed and nodded wordlessly. She left her food where it was, and left the commissary after Dr. Lam had left. She rushed to her quarters, and collapsed onto the bed in a sobbing heap. She felt so stupid and so girlish, but she couldn't help these tears.

She loved Makran. She did. Her love was still new, and its depth was still undiscovered, but she did love him. She had promised her love to him forever, but she had never expected that he might be the first to go, and so soon. But this medicine, Tritonin, gave her hope. The intelligent part of her knew it might not work, but the hopeful part of her could only believe that it would. Her heart might just shatter if she thought of anything else.

**XXX**

In her infirmary, Dr. Lam prepared a syringe of Tritonin. She had an idea that this probably was unethical, but considering how Tallis and Makran's knowledge of a ZPM was probably saving Atlantis at the moment, she decided it would be alright to overlook the rightness or wrongness of this. She approached Makran's bedside.

He looked terrible. Almost his entire body was covered in bandages, and his heart had been touch and go for several hours. He didn't even appear human anymore; he looked more like a Wraith as the minutes ticked by. His skin was greenish and gray from his head to his feet, and he had been weakly coughing up blood. Carolyn knew there was nothing more she could do for him, other than this, and she gently unwrapped one of the bandages on Makran's arm.

She calmly used another piece of gauze to stem the blood flow from the crease in his elbow and pressed the syringe into his vein. Then, she replaced the bandage and left him there.

Now, there was absolutely nothing for her to do, except wait, to see if the medicine would be effective, and prepare her infirmary for the arrival of the casualties from the Atlantis battle, as well as call the Air Force Academy hospital to have them prepare for the overflow.

Sometimes, it was difficult to be a doctor, and it was always difficult to be one in the SGC, but these people needed a doctor, and there was no one more prepared for this than someone who was already working as one. She wanted to quit some days, but she continued coming to work and seeing some of the most grotesque injuries anyone had ever seen.

Carolyn slumped into a chair and rubbed her eyes. All she could ever do was wait.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I don't own it

**Author's Note: To sparklyshimmer… I am sorry. It had to be done. (You'll understand what I mean when you get to the end of the chapter) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

"That's ridiculous, Carter!" Jack snapped, at the very end of his patience.

He didn't usually outright say he thought she was crazy, but one has to understand his situation. He was leading an entire contingent of soldiers against the Wraith and Replicators, hell-bent on destroying them. The casualties were piling up, and even the standard weapons of Atlantis hadn't destroyed the Asuran warships.

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the city, and Jack instinctively reached out to Sam to steady her. She gave him a thankful look, and then straightened up, ready to face off with the man who had suddenly transformed into her commanding officer again.

Major Lorne, Chuck and Rodney were watching the exchange. Rodney, hiding the fact he was still half in love with Sam, was peering over his laptop at them. Chuck had given up doing any work for the moment, and Major Lorne was pretending to clean his gun and make sure it was in tip-top condition (his team had been recalled to the Gate room, along with SG-1, for a resting period; this battle would last for a long time).

Chuck whispered out of the corner of his mouth, "I've got fifty bucks on them making out within," He glanced at his watch. "Twenty minutes."

Lorne rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the arguing soldiers.

"It may be ridiculous, sir, but a few of my crazier ideas have actually worked in the past. I know this is a long shot, but I wouldn't even suggest it if I didn't think it might work!" Sam shot back, though she was trying to keep her own frustration in check. "We have no other way of fighting their ships." She looked up into Jack's face and her green eyes turned pleading. "Please, Jack, trust me on this."

Jack considered her words, and her expression. He knew she was smarter than everyone in Atlantis combined (including McKay), and that her ideas had nearly always panned out. He wanted to trust her, but he wasn't sure if he could, or if he should. He crossed his arms over his chest and he met her eyes. His brown eyes stared into her green ones, and each slight facial movement was worth a thousand words as their time-tested silent communication passed between them within seconds.

"Okay, Carter." He nodded, dropping his arms to his sides. "Get McKay on it. I need to talk to you." His voice turned husky, and his cocoa eyes burned for her.

She nodded wordlessly, and turned to talk to McKay. He nodded, waving a condescending hand as he immediately got started on her plan. He wasn't about to admit it, but it was pretty genius. Still, he knew he had thought of it first…

Walking side by side, Sam and Jack walked out onto a balcony, and looked up at the orange, red and black sky. The shield was constantly being bombarded by weapons' fire, making it look rather like a fireworks display. They were silent for a long while, and Sam leaned against the railing. It was slightly awkward to just stand out there, but they needed it.

Jack was a man of great strength, and he wouldn't stop until the battle was won. He held his head straight up and his shoulders were squared because his most obvious strength was his physical presence. But there was a light in his eyes and a power in his voice that wasn't about to be underestimated. He was a scourge to the Goa'uld, Replicators, Ori and Wraith. It didn't matter the enemy; he would destroy it to protect his world.

But even the strongest man needed to collapse onto the ground and let someone to take care of him. Sam knew Jack wanted her to be that someone by the subtle way his shoulders slumped, his head tilted to the left, and his entire posture curved into hers.

"How are you doing?" She asked quietly.

"I'll be okay." He stated.

Sam shook her head and waited for him to amend his statement. Another woman might have accepted his answer, out of fear of messing with his head before battle, but Sam knew him better than she knew herself, and she knew nothing could mess with his resolve to fight well. She knew he wanted and needed to talk; he was just testing her to see if she wanted to talk.

Jack gave her a warm smile and shook his head. "I'm exhausted, but I don't think I'd be able to sleep if I tried, Sam. I don't know how much more I can take." He told her, his voice a sexy rumble in her ears. "But I can't stop. We can't stop."

"I know." Sam nodded, her brow tightening in determination.

Jack furrowed his eyebrows at her, and then reached out tenderly to stroke the delightful crease between her eyebrows. He slowly lowered his hand and cupped her chin. He dipped his head and kissed her lips briefly. It was a simple show of affection; just enough to give her battered heart hope, to provide his exhausted mind with some relief, and to prove to themselves that even war couldn't destroy their love.

Sam reached up to hold Jack's hand there, and looked up into his eyes. She didn't need a frilly relationship, and she didn't need roses and a perfect diamond ring. She didn't need the perfect house and the white picket fence with the ivy arch. All she needed was this job that meant something, and this wonderful man who never expected anything but her best because he knew she was capable of it. He didn't accept mediocrity from her because he knew she was better than that. All she needed was this man, Jack, and she'd do anything to keep him.

Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her close, welcoming her face burrowing into his chest as they both searched for some comfort. Him, he found it just holding her and feeling her breathe, assuring him that she was alive and well and with him. He found all that he needed in her tight embrace, and he couldn't find it in himself to deny himself this pleasure. He forgot about comforting her, and he let her comfort him. She gently rubbed the hardened muscles of his back as she whispered something into his ear, and he could feel the soft vibrations of her throat against his skin.

"I love you, Jack O'Neill, and don't you forget it." She stated fiercely, pulling back to stare into his eyes.

He nodded. "I know." He smiled at her, holding her close, his hands on her waist. "I love you too, Sam." He gave her another quick, tight hug and then gestured to the door with his head. "Are you ready to go back in there?"

Sam nodded quickly. "I think I'm going to try and get some rest." She said, running a hand through her sweaty hair. "Good night." She bid him shyly.

Jack smiled and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Night." He led her inside, holding the door for her. His posture remained arced to accommodate her form and shorter stature until she walked in front of him, and then he straightened up. He was once again a soldier who had a mission, but was on leave for a few short hours.

Several cots had been set up in the Gate room for whichever teams were given a rest period. The Asurans were still sending down soldiers, and everyone knew something was wrong. The second wave wouldn't come in three weeks. The second wave was likely to come within days, and everyone knew it. Tension was high, but most of the soldiers were more focused on getting a few hours of sleep than taking tension out on each other.

Jack found Teal'c meditating on one cot, and Daniel was sprawled on the one next to the Jaffa. O'Neill saw Daniel's blanket was nearly falling out of him, and in an affectionate, brotherly move, he pulled the blanket up to the archaeologist's shoulders. He looked over to Sam who was bent over a computer with McKay, finalizing her plans, and running over the specifics of the chair and the ARGs, and caught her eye. She smiled at him, and he nodded. He laid down, safe in the knowledge that they were safe enough to sleep, and that Sam would find some sleep too.

He closed his eyes, but he couldn't sleep.

**XXX**

Carson had been pulled from his battle infirmary when he heard a startling piece of news from the control room: the marines guarding Colonel Sheppard reported he wasn't conscious. He was alive, breathing, and seemed to be in complete control of Atlantis. He just wasn't awake. Well, Carson had some experience with odd diseases and conditions. He was the only one for the job.

He and his equipment were escorted to the chair room by the newest marine in Atlantis, a twenty-year-old named Jeff Chapman. The muscular young man was silent, but the way his facial expression was pinched and how he clenched his fingers around his gun spoke more than a million words to Carson. The young American was spooked out of his wits, terrified of battle, and had no idea if he was going to live or die.

Carson had seen men like him before. They had girlfriends or wives at home, and had joined the armed forces to defend their country, because it was their calling. Then they were transferred to the SGC, and their entire worlds changed. They were keeping secrets from everyone, and almost daily, went through the Gate to other worlds to defend Earth. Now, Chapman was so far from home, it was difficult to even imagine the distance. He could easily die within the next few days that he wasn't sure how to cope with it.

"So, Dr. Beckett," Chapman began nervously. "Sheppard's going to be alright, right?"

Carson's eyes twinkled in the dim lighting of the hallway, but his face was otherwise unchanged. "Yes, son." He responded. "Everyone is going to be fine. We've been through similar situations before, and we have always come out just fine." He glanced up at the marine, who was visibly assured, but didn't want to admit he'd been afraid. Carson smiled slightly, but mirth disappeared when he saw Elizabeth waiting for them in front of the chair room.

"Dr. Weir." Beckett greeted neutrally, wondering why the hell she was out here, risking her life. Well, he knew why, but still…

"Carson." Her voice was filled with relief, and she followed him inside as the doctor began to examine his patient and attached him to several monitors.

Beckett began to scan Sheppard's body with an Ancient scanner he'd brought with him. He kept the scanner on John's head, examining his brain and reading the text that came up on the screen. He was quiet for several moments, and only began to speak after he had put an IV into Sheppard's arm and taped it in place.

"I'm not quite sure what to make of this, but it seems he's completely conscious and awake, but the part of the brain that we use to talk, open our eyes and otherwise interact with our environment is completely involved in the Atlantian systems. He can hear us, but he can't respond to us." Carson explained. "I have to go and tend to my patients, but I will send someone with a feeding tube later." He grimaced at the idea of not doing it himself, but there were several people who had been fed upon. They were his priority, as much as he wished to be at his friend's side.

Elizabeth nodded, quietly thanking Carson as he left. She knelt down on the platform the chair was placed upon, and she gently placed her hands over John's arm, massaging it as she did so. "John… I don't know if you can hear me, but… please, hang on. You are so… so strong," Her voice began to crack. "And I… I have to go now, but…" She didn't even know what to say to him. She did have to return to the control room, but she didn't want to. She wanted to stay here and make sure he was alright. But she couldn't do that. She had a duty to do. "I will see you after this is over." She finished, some new strength in her voice as she stood up. A tender look in her eyes, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his unmoving lips, and then turned to leave.

Suddenly, gunshots and sounds of blasters going off exploded outside of the door, and Elizabeth moved away from it. There was no one posted inside of the room, as the marine, Jeff Chapman, had, like most of the Atlantis inhabitants, realized there was more than a little something between the two leaders, and had appropriately given Elizabeth privacy. She then did the only thing she could do. She took cover behind one of the power consoles in the room and pulled out the weapon she had been given.

Her hands shook and her mind was in a whirl as she heard shouting and yelling, as well as Wraith screeching, outside, and she waited, her pulse erratically quick, until it slowly died down. She supposed she was lucky, because if there had been any Asurans, they would have come through the walls and killed both her and John already. Her heart slowly down minutely as she walked to the door and opened it.

The sight of all of the blood and Wraith bodies made her want to vomit, but she courageously kept her stomach. Her eyes caught sight of Jeff Chapman on the ground, pressing a field bandage against Major Lorne's chest. The young marine looked up, fearful tears in his eyes and a look of panic on his face.

"Dr. Weir!" He seemed relieved there was someone with authority. "He got hit, and I…" His voice failed him, and Elizabeth took that moment to order him to go and get Carson or another doctor.

"Don't worry, Evan," She spoke his first name with friendly love in her voice, using one of her hands to hold his. She held the field bandage firmly with the other, the medical training Carson had given her kicking in. "Everything is going to be okay. Dr. Beckett will be here in a moment, and then they'll take care of you."

Lorne, however, didn't look too convinced. "Come off it, Dr. Weir. You know as well as I do that someone doesn't get a gunshot wound like this and survive." He gasped for breath and squeezed his eyes shut, clutching at Elizabeth's hand. All he felt was excruciating pain; what he didn't know was that the pain he was feeling was from a bullet having gone through one of his lungs, and he was both drowning in his own blood and suffocating at the same time.

"Don't talk like that." She ordered him with what little authority she felt. "Someone could have worse than this and still survive." But she knew he wouldn't. The light in his dark eyes was fading fast, and his grip was slowly weakening until his hand was limp.

"Just…"

"Just what?" Elizabeth asked, trying not to show him how terrified she was.

Evan forced the words out. "Just tell my kid I love her so much. She's gonna…" He gasped once more, and then coughed violently, blood dripping from his mouth as he turned his head. "I promised her I'd paint her something for her birthday, you know." He felt his grip on life was failing and he looked up at Elizabeth. "Tell her I love her."

"I will." She promised. "I will."

And just like that, he was gone. Major Evan Lorne, one of the finest military officers she had ever had the privilege of working with, had died in her arms from a bullet that had ricocheted off of the wall carelessly. It was as though he had never saved lives with his creed of never leave a man behind. It was as though all of his work had meant nothing. He was just gone, so quickly, and in the prime of his youth.

Elizabeth bowed her head and didn't take her hand from his limp grasp until Carson came running down the hallway. She stood up and shook her head, numbly walking back to the control room, surrounded by three marines who had come with Carson. When she reached the control room, Rodney looked up, curious.

"Where's Lorne?" He asked.

Elizabeth looked at her friend and responded simply, "Dead."

This battle would end up taking a lot more lives, she knew. It had already taken so many.

Her mind had slowed to a halt as she merely gave orders for different teams to be recalled and other teams to be sent out. Three hours passed, and she found herself telling Chuck to bring back Major Allen's team and to send out SG-1. She watched as Jack stood up, having heard her, and shook Daniel gently.

"Come on, Danny. Time to go."

The archaeologist nodded and stood up, picking up his P-90. With a touch of his hand, Jack woke up Sam as well, and watched as Teal'c returned to the land of the conscious from his meditation state.

"Good luck." Elizabeth said numbly.

Jack gave her a nod, and led his team out the door, grim and grave. The battle was raging on.

**XXX**

Jack glanced over at Sam, who held a small datapad about the size of a cell phone. She noticed his questioning look and looked up at him.

"Chuck MacGyvered an Asuran life detector from life signs detector technology and the notes I sent him on the Replicators from the first time we had to deal with them." She explained shortly. It was no news to anyone that Chuck Campbell had a knack for coming up with interesting machines in a short amount of time; he had, after all, 'apprenticed' under Sergeant Siler at the SGC.

"Ah." Jack responded, and held his P-90 a bit tighter. He had an ARG strapped to each leg, just in case one of them failed and he needed another, but he wasn't looking forward to having to fight Replicators any time soon. Either the teams sent out in the three hours SG-1 had been off duty had eradicated most of the Asurans, or they were hiding. Jack didn't think they'd be hiding; they just weren't like that.

Daniel glanced around uneasily. "Are there any around here, Sam?"

"Not that I can tell." She replied, but it was obvious she didn't completely trust Campbell's new toy. It had been completed in only a few months, with a last ditch effort to get them working in the last five or six hours, so they could be completely wrong.

Teal'c took point and checked around the next turn in the hall, and then gestured for O'Neill to go forward. Jack did so, and managed to keep his footsteps nearly silent. Black ops did wonders for stealth skills, after all. They managed to cover almost a mile of ground until they were told to hold position.

"What the hell?" Jack asked the technician.

"Colonel Caldwell just reported that over a hundred Asuran ships were appearing on the other side of the planet, just uncloaking. Teams are holding because we believe the Asurans will send down their men, and then bombard our shield with their naquadah weapons and then obliterate us."

"Oh, yes, the word 'obliterate' just seems to scream confidence in our abilities." Daniel snarked under his breath.

Suddenly, the entire city seemed to shake as the Atlantian weapons were set into motion. From the windows, SG-1 could see the brilliant yellow of drones being sent through the shield into space as the small blots that were Jumpers were being flown back to Atlantis, followed by the Daedalus. None of their weapons could destroy the Asuran ships, and it didn't seem as though the Atlantis weapons could either.

Whatever plan Sam had gotten Rodney on had better work, Jack thought, or this would be a really short battle.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Recognize it

**Disclaimer: Recognize it? Not mine.**

Dr. Rodney McKay had never been so scared in his entire life. At the same time, he had never worked faster, it occurred to him, as his nimble fingers fairly danced over the keys of his laptop. Several seconds later, when he was assured that this plan of Sam Carter's would work, he picked up the ten ARGs he had brought with him to the chair room, and began to fiddle with their power sources.

"What are you doing, McKay?" Ronon asked, his voice a deep rumble. A silent sentinel, he had stood watch over the scientist as he had worked for the last ten minutes, curious.

Rodney glanced up at the Satedan briefly before continuing. "Colonel Carter came up with this idea. Since Sheppard here," He nodded to the still form of John. "Is pretty much awake, if we attach the Anti-Replicator guns to the Atlantis systems, then he can take them and wipe out all of the Replicators and their ships."

McKay ran the back of his hand over his forehead and took a deep breath. "Basically, the way the ARGs disrupt the Replicators is not through an electric charge, as the old ones were, but by use of a vapor that weakens the bonds between the pieces that make up the Replicators and render them inert. With a few bullets, the pieces fall apart and since they're inert, they can't rebuild themselves." He explained. "So, what I'm attempting to do is attach the vapor chambers to the air circulation, and when all of the Asurans pop down here to give us all a cheery hello," Cynical sarcasm. "They'll all be destroyed."

"Won't they build up a resistance?" Ronon pointed out as he pulled out his Wraith stunner, switching it from stun to kill. He was antsy; he preferred to be out fighting, but McKay needed someone to protect him as he set the plan in motion, so Ronon decided it was worth it to be here.

McKay nodded. "I sent Zelenka down to the drone storage units. He came up with an idea to attach an ARG… bomb, for lack of a better word, onto a few of the drones, so when Sheppard fires, the bomb will go off on impact and disrupt the ships as well." He chuckled mirthlessly. "I'm just really hoping it'll work because other than this, we don't have anything else we can do."

"It'll work." Ronon stated.

Rodney looked up at Ronon, pausing in his work. He then nodded. "Of course it will."

**XXX**

Brian had been knocked out by some pretty powerful drugs, as one of his legs had been infected, and the doctors had needed to do some nasty stuff to it, and when he woke up, he was in a completely unfamiliar room. He sat up slightly, looking around. He definitely wasn't on the Daedalus – considering the fact there was a window to his right and the sun was cheerfully smiling on the earth – and he wasn't at the SGC for the same reason. He could only assume he had been sent through the Gate with the other critical patients, as the battle was getting too intense.

He'd feel bad, but it was good to not be on a freaking spaceship for a while.

He took a deep breath, thankful for the painkilling drugs that were shooting through his bloodstream at the moment. He would have felt guilty, but he was so relieved to not be in danger for the moment. He'd been on Atlantis for three years, and it was so nice to be back home. Don't get him wrong; he loved Atlantis, but he wasn't like the higher-ups. Earth was home for him.

He closed his eyes for a long moment, simply breathing and enjoying the feel of the sunlight on his face. He heard the door begin to open, and his eyes flew open. A blonde fifteen-year-old stepped in, one earphone in her ear, bobbing her head to whatever music she was listening to. Her eyes widened and she grinned tearfully.

"God, Brian, we were so worried for you!" She gushed as she ran to his side, careful not to touch him, as she'd been instructed by the doctor. "You've been asleep since we got here late yesterday (did you know we'd moved to MAINE? God. There's nothing IN Maine), but I guess you were tired, but still. It was weird!"

Brian raised an eyebrow slightly, though he couldn't help but smile tiredly at the sight of his little sister, Natalie. He hadn't seen her in three years, but the sight of her just made him want to cry. He'd missed her and their parents and their other siblings. She was this little blonde spurt of energy, and she'd always stuck with him more than their other siblings.

"Where's everyone?" He croaked.

Natalie plopped down onto the chair by his bed. "Mom and Dad just went to get breakfast. Lorraine," She said, referring to their college-aged sister. "Couldn't get away, but her quarter ends in a week, so she'll be down soon. And Blake," Their eighteen-year-old brother. "Has summer school. School got out last week." She commented, her eyes full of tears as she gently touched his hand. "Geez, what happened to you?"

"I'd tell you," He said, groaning as he tried to turn himself slightly towards her. "But then I'd have to kill you." He joked dryly, his eyes half-closed.

"Come on, are you serious?" She laughed.

"Seriously, Tallie," He squeezed her hand slightly. "It's classified. Can't tell you why or where, but there was an explosion, and I tackled my colleague, Laura because she's…" He breathed hard as he forced himself to sit up slightly. "She's… she's my best friend. But it was just this moment of panic." His voice was impossibly soft, his eyes far away. "I thought I was going to die."

Natalie nodded, a tiny smile appearing on her slightly sunburned face. "I guess that makes you a hero."

Brian closed his eyes, surprised at how tired he was. No one had really talked to him on the Daedalus, and he supposed he was lucky to be coherent enough to hold a conversation. He cracked his eyes open slightly to look at his sister. "I wouldn't call myself that, but you can, if you want." He found his eyelids were getting heavier and heavier, but his lips still curved with a joking smile.

"Go to sleep, Brian." Natalie told him, standing up to leave and let him rest. "Mom and Dad will be here soon, and everything's going to be okay."

Even though Brian couldn't tell her about the battle that was raging millions of light-years away, he didn't have to. His injuries reduced him to a small child, and he placed his trust in his family; if his little sister, who was so innocent and untouched by the war that was going on that she didn't know about, said everything was going to be alright, if his mom and dad would be at his side within a few hours, then everything _was_ going to be okay.

Brian fell asleep, his thoughts on his family and the fact he was finally safe, and he didn't have to worry about anything anymore.

**XXX**

John felt the first explosion of a naquadah bomb against Atlantis' shields as if he had been socked in the stomach. His entire being ached, but he called up more power from the ZPMs and felt all pain disappear. He stretched out his mind and caressed the drones in storage lovingly, feeling for the right ones. His existence swept over the familiar calming, calculating aura of Radek Zelenka, and knew where to find what he needed. He carefully selected the twenty pre-prepared drones.

He kept them in the forefront of his mind, but quickly scanned his enemy. There were countless Asuran ships, all made of the same mechanical pieces. There were a few Wraith ships left, but he was confident in the Daedalus' ability to deal with those, so he focused on the Asuran ships.

He carefully aimed, and with a breath, he shot the first drone. A surge of excitement rushed through him and he nearly trembled with relief as he felt the Replicator pieces disintegrate and be sucked into space where they would never bother them again.

For the first time in a long time, John was completely at home, and he was completely in control. All confusion and questioning disappeared from his mind; he was Atlantis.

**XXX**

Rodney listened to the radio chatter as he continued to work as quickly as possible. He still had to convert the ARG vapor to something he could work with, and that would take time. More and more reports were coming in from teams who were trying to stem the flow of Replicators in the city, and his hands were nearly shaking with worry and fear. He furrowed his brow and concentrated. Nothing else existed except him and the problem he needed to fix. He took several deep breaths and focused.

He connected all of the ARGs, and then opened the wall panel. He set the ARGs in the emptied compartment directly underneath the main air circulation duct, and then attached the tiny tubes that connected all of the containers of vapor and inserted them into the small hole he had Ronon drill quickly, and then pressed a single button. He saw the slightly fluorescent smoke slowly drift up into the duct and then closed his eyes.

He tapped his radio. "Elizabeth. It's done. It should take a while to circulate to the entire city, but it should work." His voice wobbled.

Her voice was tender. "Good job, Rodney. Stay there until this is all over."

He nodded, even though she couldn't see him, and leaned against the wall, crumbling to the floor. His eyes red-rimmed and raw from staring at the smallest pieces of machines and guns and all of the things he wished he didn't have to work with, he tried to keep them open, but he couldn't. His relief at being able to accomplish something that might have turned the tide in the battle bubbled underneath his skin, and without warning, he started to sob quietly.

Ronon didn't say a word. He merely walked over and sat next to the scientist.

The city was battling for survival, but at the moment, Ronon's purpose to be Rodney's silent companion as he made his way through his relief and fears.

**XXX**

The city had erupted into chaos. One moment, it was eerily silent as SG-1 waited to go once more into battle, and the next, they were surrounded by the enemy, waiting for a plan to work that was a long shot to begin with. For the longest time, it was merely shoot to kill, duck out of the way, dodge that Replicator, try not to get a hand stuck in one's head, and repeat. All conscious thought had left Daniel's head, and he was fighting to survive.

And then the very next moment, right when Daniel, the idealistic dreamer, thought that there was no hope left, that they would all die, forgotten by the world, all of the Replicators froze, as if bound by invisible chains, and then shattered into a million silver pieces.

Daniel was frozen himself, and he looked around, blinking. He wondered if he had just gone crazy, but then saw Jack, Sam and Teal'c were looking around as well. His shoulders slumped, and he let his P-90 hang from his shoulders.

"Everyone okay?" Jack asked, his voice sharp in the harsh silence.

Sam nodded, eyes wide with adrenaline. Teal'c inclined his head gracefully and Daniel nodded, huffing and puffing. They all watched each other's faces for one quiet moment, and then Jack nodded.

"We should get back." Just as with the system lords and the Milky Way Replicators and the Ori, there was no wild and crazy whooping and hollering. There was no excitement or laughter or smiling. There was merely a quiet acceptance that the threat had been eliminated and now, it was time to rest.

But Daniel allowed himself the smallest of smiles, and hope was once again restored to him.

**XXX**

John sensed the sudden absence of Replicators in his body, and rejoiced. With new strength, he struck out against his enemies with new force. The other nineteen drones were sent out in quick succession. When they were gone, he gathered some of the vapor in his veins and wrapped the drones in it. He gently guided them to their targets, which exploded noiselessly in space, but they were gone. All that was left was the twelve Wraith ships, and he destroyed eight of them before he felt himself being separated from the wholeness that was Atlantis.

He would have cried out, but he was helpless and senseless as he tipped out of the chair and crumbled on the floor. Suddenly, his entire body began to spasm wildly. He was completely out of control of his own body, and he started bawling inarticulately. He wanted to be whole again; he wanted to feel like himself. He wanted to be surrounded completely by Atlantis. His sobs echoed, but he didn't hear them. He was only locked in his own misery.

He felt two strong arms and a masculine form leaning on him, trapping him to the floor. He thrashed and screamed, but he couldn't do anything against that muscle mass. He slowly relaxed and he quieted, but he still couldn't hear or see anything. Irregularly, his body would twitch with the aftereffects of the chair, and he began to sink into oblivion. He resisted, afraid of what might come if he was not conscious, but his mind and his body were weak. It was as though his fingers had relaxed, and he was falling.

He was already asleep by the time he was picked up from the floor by Ronon, and he was dreaming when the Satedan set him gently on a bed in the infirmary. He didn't stir when Carson came by and silently attached him to several monitors and began to examine him. He didn't even subconsciously realize it when Elizabeth came in, pale-faced and with bloodshot eyes, and laid down next to him on the bed. She fell asleep next to him, but her sleep was fitful and uneven.

John's was complete and deep.

**XXX**

Colonel Caldwell nodded and one of his crewmen beamed him down onto Atlantis. The battle was still raging above, but the day had been won. But his face was grave and ashen as he regarded the expedition members. The technician was barely conscious, his eyes almost completely closed as he fought to stay awake and address his superior officer, and Caldwell shook his head at the young Air Force officer and went to speak to Colonel Peterson, who had been sent from Earth.

The officers saluted himself. "Colonel," Caldwell began. "What's the situation?"

"General O'Neill is leading a large group throughout Atlantis, searching for any lingering Wraith or Replicators. Dr. McKay has already started to assess the damage, and he promises he'll have a supply form ready for you before you leave tomorrow." Peterson reported. "Colonel Sheppard has come off of the chair, and Dr. Beckett says there is much lingering damage, but nothing life-threatening, and he should be able to continue his duties normally in a few months."

"Good." Caldwell meant that. "Where's Dr. Weir?"

Peterson looked uncomfortable and unsure as how to respond, but Caldwell shook his head. "Never mind," He said. "I already know."

Peterson nodded. "Is there anything you need to me to do?"

"No," Caldwell decided after a moment. "General O'Neill can coordinate efforts from here; I'm going to focus on my ship and my crew."

"Right." Peterson agreed. "Are there any casualties that need to be moved?"

"No. The new shields on the Daedalus held up remarkably well, and we already sent our worst casualties through the Gate with the others."

The two colonels were silent for a long while, and then Peterson regarded Caldwell seriously. "Good work, sir." The younger colonel smirked slightly. "I can smell the promotions all around." He took a deep breath dramatically. "Delicious."

Caldwell raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to check on my ship." His lips curved slightly in a smile, and Peterson's eyes lost some of their darkness.

They had won the day, even though there were so many dead, and so many critically injured. Atlantis was intact, the ships were intact, and there was a lot to do. Colonel Caldwell allowed himself to feel some sense of relief as he walked through the halls, but even that small relief was hard to muster. There were so many dead. So many dead.

**XXX**

Brian drifted in and out of sleep over the next several hours, but he was never awake enough to open his eyes. All he would remember of that time was feeling incredibly warm and small, as though he was six years old, and he had the flu, but his mother had stayed home from work to take care of him. He had been an only child at that time, and he remembered her gentle love and mothering touch as she would always fuss over his covers and try to make him drink more broth.

Finally, however, he woke up enough to open his eyes and saw his mother and father sitting at his bedside. His mother looked like she had been crying, and… well, on second thought, so did his father. He yawned as much as he could without aggravating the lesser burns on his face.

"Oh, honey." His mother murmured, taking his hand. "How do you feel?"

Brian didn't think that it'd be funny to say, "Like I'd just gotten burned really badly" so he settled for a croaked, "Alright."

His father smiled. "I hear you're a hero, son."

"Where'd you hear that?" He asked, his voice barely a rasp.

"From me."

Brian's head turned as quickly as he could, and he saw Laura sitting on his other bedside. He smiled gently, and she took his other hand. He gazed at her silently for a long moment and then leaned his head against hers when she bent down to hug him.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling a little better." She said. "I've been chatting with your parents here, and boy, are you never going to be respected by your friends again?"

"Mom!" He whined softly.

His mother chuckled. "She was interested, Brian. What can I say?"

Brian rolled his eyes, and gently squeezed Laura's hand right as the door opened to show an elated young Air Force officer. Brian recognized him immediately- Sergeant Tyler Stradlater, a man all Air Force men were jealous of. With his sexy bastard attitude and his sexy bastard looks, he got most of the hot female scientists and all of the female civilians that came in and out of Cheyenne Mountain. Before Brian's tired mind could even wonder why he was there, Stradlater began to talk.

"Lieutenant Cadman, Captain Leeds," Stradlater saluted. "Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Leeds, I need to speak to these two about some classified information."

Mrs. Leeds looked like she was about to protest, but Brian's father led her out of the room, hushing her gently as he held her hand with one hand and wrapped an arm around her waist.

Stradlater then continued. "We just got word from Colonel Caldwell, and the threat's been eliminated. It's over." He suddenly grinned.

Brian sunk back further into his pillows and bed, and closed his eyes. "Thank God." He muttered. Well, yeah, thank God. Someone would have paid if he had nearly died for nothing! He didn't tackle hot women for nothing… okay, he did. But that wasn't the point.

It was over.


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's Note: Alright, in this chapter, we're tying up all loose threads. Sam and Jack, Elizabeth and John, Vala, Tallis and Makran… etc, etc. Seriously guys, it's been a great run, and I'd just like to give a special shout-out to sparklyshimmer, who's been a super support throughout this entire journey.**

**There will be an epilogue, don't worry, that will really tie everything up.**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine.**

Atlantis had been evacuated for the time being, and everyone had been sent home. Everyone needed a month away, to recollect their sanity and strength, and to remind themselves that there was still hope, even after seeing so much death. Soldiers needed put down their guns and remember there was something other than constant war and fear. The leadership needed to rest under the comfort of another's leadership. Most of all, the Atlantis expedition needed the comforts of Earth and to sit on a couch and know they weren't in charge of saving the lives of others for once. Families needed to be informed that their loved ones had died honorably and in the service of their great countries, and Atlantis needed some heavy rebuilding after such a destructive battle.

But everyone was going to be okay. It would take some rest and healing, but everyone was going to be up on their feet soon enough.

Daniel smiled as he walked into the SGC infirmary, a bouquet of flowers in his arms, and strode over to Vala's bedside. She smiled up at him, and looked curiously at the flowers.

"You know," She commented. "You Earthlings have some very odd customs, but I think I like this one." She leaned over, wary of her shoulder, and bent her nose to smell them deeply. Her eyes moved back up to him, watching him contentedly.

Daniel couldn't keep the grin from his face as he sat down on a chair next to her. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Well, I feel fine, but Dr. Lam won't let me do anything." She grabbed a fistful of Daniel's shirt (while pretending to ignore the blissfully rock hard muscles underneath her fingers) and leaned to whisper in his ear. "I think she's a sadist." She told him knowingly.

While pretending to ignore the fact her hand was pretty much molesting him (and the fact he liked it), he shook his head at her. "She's a doctor. Of course she is." He agreed with her, and then took her hand from his shirt and held it. "But are you actually… you know, okay?"

Vala looked into his eyes and nodded seriously. "I am, Daniel. You know," She slipped back into her seductive attitude. "You saved me out there. I think you deserve something."

"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows. "And what would that be?" He really **was** trying to seem that he wasn't as giddy as he really was at the prospect of being rewarded by this gorgeous woman.

Vala winked at him. "Oh, you'll know when it comes."

Daniel didn't know about anyone else, but he was pretty sure he was going to be okay.

**XXX**

Makran woke up only hours after the battle of Atlantis was won, and for a moment, he really didn't understand why he was in an infirmary bed, attached to a whole gamut of monitors that he was pretty sure he didn't understand. He sat up and looked around, grimacing slightly at the casualties that were around. There were some men and women in pretty bad shape, but most of them at least appeared as though they would live. He looked down at himself, and a small scar on his left arm caught his attention.

It was tiny. Really. It was odd and irregular in shape, and if you'd asked him, he would have described it as a blob shape. But the weird thing about it was that the scar was gray. That brought the entire few months back, and he realized he felt better, and he didn't know why. He finally saw Dr. Lam pass by, and she stopped to quickly check him over.

"You seem to be in perfect health, Makran." She reported with a kind smile. "All of the tests I have run have come back perfect, so you are free to go."

He tilted his head questioningly. "But how? Nothing Dr. Beckett tried worked."

"We have a medicine called Tritonin." Dr. Lam explained. "It has the ability to take away all human ailments by replacing your immune system. You will have to continue taking it daily for the rest of your life, but you will never become sick again."

Makran raised his eyebrows and dropped them. "That's…" He trailed off, unable to find anything to say to something like that. He would never be ill again. He didn't even know how to respond to that sort of revelation. "Wow. Thank you."

Dr. Lam nodded, and moved to leave.

"Wait, have you seen Tallis anywhere?" He asked casually as he stood up, flexing the muscles he hadn't been able to use for the longest time. Thankfully, he'd secretly stood up and walked around when Dr. Beckett hadn't been looking or this whole standing business might have been a real problem. He reached for the clean set of BDUs on the bedside table and took the annoying hospital gown off and put the manly clothes on.

Dr. Lam looked startled by the innocent question. "I think she's in her quarters. They're two levels up." She gave him a tight smile, and left to check on another patient.

With a shrug, Makran left the infirmary, breathing the free air once more. He asked directions from an airman who was passing by, and made his way up two levels. Once there, he was pointed in the right direction, and knocked on the door. Thinking it odd how she didn't answer, he opened the door anyway.

He slowly walked in, and saw Tallis sitting on her bed, facing away from the door. Her shoulders were heaving and she was sobbing. She didn't cry like a pathetic little girl, either. Makran had grown up with her, and she cried loudly and openly. She couldn't just let tears fall down often. She had to cry and sob and punch a pillow and throw unbreakable things at the wall.

He walked over to her. "Tallis?" He was suddenly timid, and he felt awkward. He was bonded to this girl, but she was in so much pain that he was blindsided by this. "What's wrong?"

Tallis turned to face him, her face blotchy and red, her nose especially. Makran had always noticed that her nose turned a horrible shade of red when she had been crying. Her eyes seemed greener than brown, since her eyes were bloodshot. She sniffled, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, but when she took in his healthy skin, bright eyes and the fact that he was standing, she couldn't help herself and let out a long, keening sob.

Makran sat down beside her and crushed her against his chest. She let him hold her, her eyes pressed into his shoulder and she cried some more. Makran hadn't been horribly scarred or traumatized by his own illness; it had been scary, but it was over. But he knew that it wasn't over for Tallis. Whenever she saw him, she would see the mottled, dying man she had sat by for weeks. The very thought of him would conjure up the same aching pain near her sternum, and even holding him and seeing him well again wouldn't erase that pain. She probably thought she was dreaming, he mused sadly as he stroked her hair.

After several minutes, Tallis finally quieted, and lazed against him, unwilling to move from the perfect circle of comfort she felt in Makran's arms. However, he finally pulled away, still keeping his hands on her knees, and looked her in the face.

"Why?" He asked, so helpless to help her.

Tallis looked him in the face. "I thought you were dead, and then I honestly thought I had lost my mind when you walked in. But… I was so scared for you, for me… what was I going to do if you had died? I thought I had… somehow accepted it, but I didn't. I couldn't. How could I accept the idea I was going to lose you? But… are you? I mean, are you okay?" She asked him, her eyes searching any bare skin to see if he had any sickness lingering in him. Her hands joined her eyes in the search and she explored his skin, terrified.

"I am absolutely fine. The medicine has worked perfectly." He assured her, stopping her hands and holding them. "Tallis, I promise you that I am wholly well. I will never leave you again. We don't ever have to part now. We are bonded." He reminded her with a smile.

Tallis nodded, and blew her nose loudly with a handkerchief from the nearest box of Kleenex. She came back and sat by him, and then looked up at him. Makran watched the emotions pass over her face, and she seemed to have accepted that he wasn't dying anymore. She tilted her head to the right slightly, and her gaze dropped to his lips.

Makran needed no further sign as to what she wanted, and wound his fingers through her hair and kissed her deeply. He held her close for long moments that seemed to drag on, and then pulled away briefly to assist her in removing his shirt, and then removed the same burden from her as well.

**XXX**

In other parts of Stargate Command, Sam Carter was at her computer, assessing the damage. Her mind was still whirling from the battle, and even though her arms felt as though they would seriously fall off, she couldn't stop her fingers typing, and she couldn't stop her mind from doing all sorts of 'Colonel' duties that came after such a battle. She was halfway through her mission report when she picked up the coffee cup she could have sworn she had filled a minute before and it was cold. She spat it back out, and pushed it aside.

"Do you ever stop working?" Came a dry, amused voice.

Sam jumped and turned around in her chair. She smiled sadly and shook her head as she stood up. "I wanted to." She whispered, unable to summon the strength to speak louder. "Honestly. I wanted to, but I can't stop. Whenever I close my eyes, I see Lieutenant Haley _dying_ again and I get this surge of adrenaline and I can't…" Her voice hitched. "I'm still so frightened I'll wake up and be back in that battle… I can't feel… anything."

Jack's brown eyes softened, and he went to her and gathered her in his arms. She relaxed against him and turned her face so her cheek was against his chest. His warm hand rhythmically moved up and down along her back and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Sam?" He caught her attention and pulled away slightly to hold both of her hands. "I've been meaning to ask you something…"

For a split second, Sam had a feeling that this was the most important second of her life thus far.

And in the weeks that followed, if anyone noticed, no one made any comment on the new rings Sam and Jack both wore, or how both had concurrently cashed in on their leave and both decided to take two weeks off. If anyone had had the right connections, one might have also been able to realize both officers were headed off to Minnesota.

Mysteriously, Teal'c and Daniel became a few hundred dollars richer a few days later.

**XXX**

You know, though Cameron Mitchell seemed to have a terrible track record for getting injured, he didn't think that being in a hospital was half bad. For one, he had a major crush on Dr. Lam. Yeah, sexy, slightly uptight doctors did it for him. Well, female doctors. If "sexy" and "slightly uptight" were his only requirements, he'd be dating Carson. Which was a totally weird thought. So, yeah, he wasn't at all against spending hours in the same space as the hot doctorette, under her gentle care. Of course, what he was imagining during that time was **anything** but gentle.

Ahem.

But back to the hospital being kind of great. Other than Dr. Lam, he had a lifetime's supply of macaroons from various members of the SGC, Teal'c had taken up the habit of sneaking him Jell-O when no one was looking, Jackson came to visit (but Cam knew it was primarily to see Vala; still, he wasn't too injured by that), and he had a front row seat to some **excellent** gossip-worthy going-ons.

Really, his life sometimes rocked.

Now was one of those times.

He, of course, was pretending to be asleep, and his eyes were slitted so he could only see a fraction of what was going on, but he could see. It was somewhere around midnight, and Dr. Weir, who he assumed hadn't gone home yet, walked into the infirmary. She didn't say a word to anyone, and simply sat by Colonel Sheppard's side. She held his hand and watched his unmoving face diligently. She kept a vigil at his side, if only for her own peace of mind that he was alive and safe. However, he hadn't woken up since he had come off of the chair, and even the most hopeful of optimists were beginning to doubt he would ever wake up.

But then the most extraordinary thing happened. Right as Weir was standing up and preparing to leave (probably to get some sleep), John gasped in his sleep, and jerked himself awake. He panted as she grabbed his shoulders and pushed him down, whispering softly in his face, coaxing him to realize he was awake and she was right there.

Finally, John's heart rate slowed, and he seemed calmer. He looked around, wrenching his head this way and that, his face utterly confused.

"… Elizabeth?" He asked, his voice husky with fear. "I can't **see**." His hands reached out into open air, and she captured them in her own cold fingers. John's eyes, open and searching, saw nothing as he yearned to behold the woman he loved. He let out a terrible mewling sound as tears burned his eyes.

Her throat was stuck, and she couldn't find a thing to say, Cameron assumed. He watched as she held his face gently in her hands and lowered her mouth to his and kissed him. All she knew was that he was alive and talking to her. Above that, nothing really mattered to her.

Soon enough, after the kiss and a few soft words, John fell back asleep and Elizabeth turned to leave. Cameron sat up, breaking his façade of sleep.

"Dr. Weir." He greeted her.

"Oh, Colonel." She returned the greeting, her eyes fearful that he had heard the conversation.

"Go home." He told her. "You're no use to him if you're half dead. He'll be here in the morning… or the afternoon. He'd want you to."

She gave him a nod and left.

**XXX**

Though one wouldn't expect it, Richard Woosley was one of the most relieved people when the news came to him of the victory in Atlantis. Admittedly, he had let out a little yelp of excitement when he heard of everything that had happened. Privately, though. After processing such news, he dressed in one of his finest suits and was on a plane to Colorado within two weeks (an impressive time for the IOA, of course, even if it was a bit delayed for anyone else).

He arrived at Cheyenne Mountain in the wee hours of the morning. The guards on duty gave him dark looks; he wasn't exactly Mr. Popular around here, was he? He was hardly to blame. His actions were dictated by his superiors, and he had to follow the policies of the Oversight Committee as much as the Stargate program did. He honestly liked these people, the SG teams, but he had to be the bad guy sometimes. It wasn't exactly the land of milk and honey, where he got to ride the ponies, for him either! Did anyone actually think he liked acting like he had a stick up his ass? Honestly.

But rants aside, he finally made it to the lowest level, and was greeted by Major Paul Davis, who had been sent to Cheyenne Mountain a few days before for some thing that Richard couldn't remember at the moment, and had elected to stay to help. The two men walked together to General Landry's office, where they were greeted by Landry, and, oddly enough, General O'Neill as well.

"Generals, good to see you. Especially you, General O'Neill. I'm glad to see you weren't injured." Woosley said, his voice not filled with any particular surge of emotion, but it was the truth nonetheless. He sized the military man up, and his eyebrow quirked at the sight of gold on O'Neill's left hand. Deciding that such things weren't his business and pretending as though he hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary (though such a thing was hardly something to be surprised at), he spoke. "I have been sent here by my superiors to go over mission reports and to make any suggestions for disciplinary action or promotions for actions during the battle for the base in Atlantis."

"Disciplinary action? Really, Dick?" O'Neill seemed to refuse to use his physical advantage to intimidate the IOA member. His voice dropped to a lower register, and though he wasn't the tallest man, his presence seemed to fill the entire room with forbidding darkness. "Hell will freeze over before I let you or one of your goons touch any one of my people for their actions, which were all honorably in the defense of Atlantis!" And he meant it. There was no question about it; he would use every single string at his disposal, he would threaten anyone he needed to, to protect the people who fought under his (albeit, unofficial) command.

"Now, now, General, I don't think it's necessary to get angry. It's simply a possibility." Richard was tempted to be condescending, but he decided to take the high road; he was, after all, used to the small barb of "Dick". You'd think the general would come up with something new, something less juvenile, and something more insulting. "However," His tone changed slightly, but this was done deliberately to subtly show the two generals he was on their side. "I don't imagine I shall find too many reasons to suggest disciplinary actions."

General Landry nodded. "Very well. Mr. Woosley, if you will go with Major Davis, he will show you to your office."

Richard, once out the door with the major, said, "Really, Major Davis, this is unnecessary. I am quite familiar with this complex." To be honest, he wasn't the major's biggest fan, finding him much too partial to believe the SGC's word over the hard facts.

"Very well." With that, the major excused himself to find something infinitely more interesting to do.

Richard walked down the hallways, carrying his briefcase as he mentally prepared himself to read all that he had to read. The mission reports were bound to be gory and full of details that would haunt his dreams for weeks. He always found it difficult to stomach what these people did, and that was why he held such high respect for them. Sometimes, he hated his job.

Down the hall, he spotted the familiar face of Elizabeth Weir. He called her name, and she turned towards him. He was struck dumb for a moment at the dark circles under her eyes and the haunted look on her face. She was thinner than he remembered, and she had always been remarkably slim. He was worried.

"Dr. Weir, how are you holding up? I can imagine it must be terribly hard to lose your city, even for such a short time." Yes, the use of the phrase 'your city' was deliberate.

"I am fine, Mr. Woosley. It is Colonel Sheppard I am worried for." At his questioning look, she continued. "He was injured when defending Atlantis on the chair. He has only woken up a handful of times since the battle. We are all worried for him."

Richard could tell she was holding something back. "That is terrible." It truly was. He wasn't a heartless man. Yes, he thought that Colonel Caldwell was a better choice to lead the Atlantis expedition, but he had his own opinions; what Sheppard had done in Afghanistan and in all of his time in Atlantis was honorable, and even Richard couldn't find anything morally wrong with it.

"It is." She paused, and her gaze dropped to the floor. Suddenly, Richard was talking to a woman desperately worried for someone she loved, not to the famed diplomat, Dr. Weir. "John and I have been meaning to speak with you. We do intend to pursue a relationship while keeping our positions in Atlantis, and I think that this last battle has proven out diligence at our work, despite any dangerous emotional positions."

Richard was suddenly in a dangerous position. He chose his words carefully and met her eyes steadily. "Well, it will be several months before Colonel Sheppard is fit for active duty. I am sure that, in that time, we will be able to collaborate and find something that will be suitable to both parties."

Elizabeth's eyes were wide and childlike, and she nodded. Richard placed a hand on her shoulder, and finished the walk to his office.

**XXX**

It was a month and a half after the battle before Brian Leeds was allowed to return home. He was in no shape to live in the apartment the Air Force had found for him, so he had given into his family and agreed to live with his parents in the summer home they kept in Colorado until he was healed and shipped back off to Atlantis. The car ride from the Air Force Academy hospital had been eventful. His mother had insisted on driving, and then nagged his father the entire time, saying that the cupboards needed to be replenished if they were going to have all four of their children home at one time. His father agreed, knowing it was better to placate his wife than argue with her.

Blake, who was finished up with summer school for the day, pestered Brian the entire way, wanting to know (and I quote), "What the fuck happened, man?" and "That Laura chick is hot; how come you haven't hit that?" and even, "What do you mean, classified? It's not like I'm going to tell anyone!". Brian had never known he could be so exhausted.

He had honestly tried to answer all of his brother's questions, but his words were running together and he was slurring everything, and his thoughts were muddied up. He eventually told his brother to shut up and he closed his eyes, allowing the sensation of the pain medications to overwhelm him. His breathing evened out, but he stayed awake. His newly healed hand was suddenly taken by a smaller, warm one. He cracked his eyes open a slit, and saw his eldest sister, Lorraine, smiling softly at him. He smiled back and squeezed her hand.

His younger sister, Natalie, remained quiet, but she kept Blake silent as well, and she leaned against the back of Brian's chair, wrapping her arms around him. She leaned her head against his shoulder. Brian had always been her favorite since he was her big brother, and she found immeasurable comfort when she touched him. He was alive and there with her, and he wasn't going to leave for a long time. It was hard to see him so drugged and so injured, but he was at least home.

Nearly twenty minutes later, they arrived home, and everyone piled out of the car before Blake, a wrestler and football player, helped Brian out of the car into the wheelchair the hospital had provided them with. He hissed as the most severe burns on his back and gluteus maximus had pressure placed upon them, but relaxed soon enough. Lorraine wheeled him into the house and into the bedroom made up for him on the first floor.

"Do you want something to eat, a bath," Since he couldn't have showers… "Or just to sleep?" She asked in her soft voice.

"I don't know." He admitted as he barely managed to collapse into his bed. Most of his entire body was still covered in bandages and he was going to need some help rebandaging himself every morning. How embarrassing. He was tired, but he had slept so much. He was hungry but he didn't think his stomach could handle it, and he didn't fancy taking a bath. He looked around the room and then back up at Lorraine. "I don't really know what to do, not having orders and duties and all that." He admitted.

She nodded, and sat down beside him, taking his hand. "I missed you, Brian." She told him.

"I missed you too." And he really had. It had been so long since he'd seen her. The last time he HAD seen her, she'd been a senior in high school. He'd missed her graduation. He felt lousy because of it. "How's that loser… uh, what's his face?"

"Oh, Shane?" She asked. He nodded. "We broke up after graduation. He was going off to the University of Hawaii to study marine biology, and I was staying here to study music." She suddenly beamed. "I was accepted into the university's top orchestra!"

Brian grinned. If there was something he would always remember about Lorraine, it was that she was obsessed with her violin. She'd been playing since she was six, and was honestly really good. He loved listening to her, and he told her the same. She smiled and hugged him gently.

"Brian, get some sleep." She kissed his forehead. "Mom will be in here, stuffing you full of food soon enough. Get what rest you can." She left him in the room, and turned the main light off, but Brian had to turn on the bedside lamp.

He had never been afraid of the dark until he'd traveled and fought in another galaxy.

Days later, he was much more cheerful than he could ever remember being. When he woke up, he was always home, in his own bed. He was greeted by the faces he had dreamt of for months: his family. These were the people he cared about, the people he was fighting for. They were the reason why he braved so many fears and darknesses. It was all worth it, by the way.

When things were the darkest, he would recall his brother's determined face whenever Blake and Brian faced off for some good, old-fashioned football. He remembered Lorraine's beautiful compositions for her violin or the piano. He heard Natalie singing her favorite jazz songs as she tap-danced her way down the hallway. He'd think of his mother and father joking around as they cooked dinner. His family was his way of retaining his sanity and remembering why he was risking his life.

Even though he was so happy, conversely, he was very depressed whenever he was alone. He had terrible nightmares of being stuck in a corner of the Daedalus as he watched Laura being consumed by the explosion he caused. He watched at Atlantis was blown by the self-destruct that had been started by the Wraith. He watched as all of his worst fears came true in his mind's eye, and he couldn't do anything about it. He was always rooted to the spot, and whenever he woke up, he had to grip the cold sheets and remember that he was home and Atlantis had been saved, and anything he saw in his dreams wasn't true.

Days later, a knock echoed through the house, and Brian watched as Natalie skipped over to the door from his vantage point in the kitchen.

"Um, hello, can I help you?" She asked nervously. "Oh, yes, he's here." She turned and caught his eye and he nodded, turning the wheelchair around and pushing himself to the door. The wheelchair was really annoying. It hurt badly to sit, and he hated how he felt when he was on a lot of pain medication.

Natalie left, and Brian grinned up at Laura. "Hey Cadman!" He greeted her enthusiastically. "How have you been?"

"I've been great." Laura smiled and bent down to hug him. "But I'm not here to exchange pleasantries." She looked over her shoulder and Brian leaned over to see Carson coming from having parked the rental car they had gotten. Brian could only assume they had flown in from Scotland.

"What?" Brian looked up into Laura's face, but when she didn't answer him, he sighed. "Please, come in."

Laura pushed him into the house, stopping him in the living room, and she took a seat on the couch, and Carson settled himself on an armchair. He was oddly silent; normally, he had several words for someone who was injured, but he seemed lost in thought.

Brian felt an uncomfortable uneasiness settle between the three of them. He watched as Laura scooted to the end of the couch so she could reach over and hold Carson's hand. He suddenly found himself hoping that one of them wasn't dying or something, or that he had anything to do with it. He was wondering what was going on.

Carson suddenly let out a low sigh and met Brian's eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to say this earlier. Laura means the world to me; I love her dearly, and I know she loves her work and she would have been willing to go alone, but you… you risked your life when it wasn't necessary to come with her." He swallowed hard. "And then in the heat of the moment, you saved her life. You two may have your soldier's understanding, but I don't have that."

He offered Brian his hand. "Thank you, Brian. You didn't just save Laura, I think you saved me as well."

Brian shook Carson's hand. "You're welcome." He paused, and looked down at the ground. "I didn't really do anything. It was just instinct; I was scared as hell. I thought we were going to die. It was the Daedalus that saved us. Novak and Caldwell and all of them." His voice was dark and soft. His family had been telling him he was a hero, that he had done one of the most heroic things anyone could ever do, that he deserved to be honored for what he did. But he didn't feel like a hero.

Neither Carson nor Laura contradicted him, but Brian felt something swell in his chest at the way Laura's eyes were full of tears and how she reached over to hold his hand. She didn't need to say anything; all she needed to do and all she did was kiss his knuckles, and Brian felt something in him change. He felt hope blossoming from his heart, and they shared a look that spoke of the kind of understanding that was steeled through battles and wars, and the moment passed as quickly as it had come.

Carson and Laura stayed for a few hours, talking with Brian. Once the deep moment had passed, Carson was back in his normal doctor mode and he fussed over the younger man as Laura giggled and helped her boyfriend whenever he asked. But what saved Brian's sanity was how he could tell his little sister was sitting on the stairs, eavesdropping because she had this thing for accents. He was probably sure she had a crush on Carson already.

Mrs. Leeds invited the couple to stay for dinner, but they refused, and with another hug from Laura and a handshake from Carson, they left.

Oh, and don't think Brian missed the diamond ring he saw sparkling innocently on Laura's left hand.

When Brian was in bed later that night, he laid there musing on his life and future and past. They were all still scarred from the battle and from life in general, but all in all, he knew everything was going to be okay.

**XXX**

Somewhere, in a galaxy millions of light-years away, the city of the Ancients floated on the calm oceans. The sky was splashed with dark pinks and oranges and golds, with the sun rising off into the distance. The waves gently nudged the city this way and that, the currents guiding it in an age-old dance.

A quiet song floated over the water, the sound of someone crying. In the city, in a secluded room sat an innocent chair. It cried for the loss of its protector and it cried for its vulnerability. The city sobbed for the damage it had unknowingly done to the man who had defended it once again.

It remembered those who had died in service to Atlantis who were close to the Defender: Charles Sumner, Peter Grodin, Aiden Ford and Evan Lorne. Atlantis grieved for them as well.

Though Atlantis' pain was great, its needs were simple; it missed those who had inhabited its halls for the past three years, but Atlantis knew it was injured and needed help. It would wait until the crews were finished rebuilding it, and then Atlantis knew they would be back. The Leader, the Defender and the Wisdom would return, and all would once again be well.

**This is where I originally planned on ending the story, but I think you all want one more chapter, yes? The epilogue's coming soon.**


	27. Epilogue

**Author's Note: This is really the end, guys. I can't believe it, but it's here. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, put this into a c2, favorited it, or put it on your alert's list. It makes me feel special! I don't know when I'll have another Stargate story out, but I promise you: there will be one. Most likely, it will be SG-1 related, so if you're into that, keep a look out.  
**

**Disclaimer: I properly and appropriately disclaim.**

Colonel John Sheppard had had a rough several months, but he was finally better. One-hundred-percent, completely, and totally better. His mile time was back down to 4:05 minutes, he had his biceps again, and he was officially back on active duty. What was even better was he was back on Atlantis.

The worst part of his ordeal had been the hum in the back of his mind that had constantly called him back to Atlantis. He felt the ache in his heart and he had woken up several nights a week with tears on his cheeks, and a desperate need to be back home. But he couldn't, and he knew it. He hadn't been healthy enough to be anything more than a burden in case of another emergency, so he had resigned himself to staying on Earth. There were times he had doubted he would ever get better, but all of his problems had slowly mended themselves, and Elizabeth had given him the best birthday present ever.

No, not a tumble in the bed sheets. She had told him he could come home.

Walking through the SGC towards the Gate room with Sergeant Harriman calling out the chevrons when they locked had been the best feeling in the world. He stepped through the Gate, and within three seconds, he was home.

Colonel Peterson had been selected to watch over Atlantis during his medical leave, and John had worried that Peterson, known for his ambition, would have refused to give up his position. The other man had stepped down willingly, and had even handed over the keys to the military commander's office with a huge grin and a manly hug.

John fell into a schedule so quickly, and reveled in the monotony of catching up on mission reports and other important paperwork, since he wasn't allowed off on missions just yet. Carson hadn't known what Gate travel might do to John's sensitive neurological condition. But Sheppard was fine with it. He was home.

He could feel the walls and floors hum in response to his presence. He had heard Atlantis crying within a few moments of being home, but it had quieted and turned to joy. He could feel Atlantis' presence around him at all time, and it heightened his senses. He could tell when Elizabeth needed comfort, and when Rodney was puttering about his lab, muttering to himself about all the things he needed to do. He could also tell a few other things that went on during the night, but Atlantis, slightly shaking with mirth, blocked that from him once he asked it to.

He could have melted into the walls of the city and been happy for the rest of his life. Well, not really, considering there was still the issue of Elizabeth. Every time he had seen her once he was in Atlantis, she seemed to have some huge secret, but he had refrained from asking her, considering they weren't allowed to be together because of the questionable fraternization.

"Colonel Sheppard, would you come and meet me in my office?" Elizabeth interrupted his mission report reading. He didn't mind, though. She was hot. What was he supposed to be, annoyed? Yeah. Sure.

"Be there in a minute." He got up and went to a transporter, and was there in a minute's time. He was good.

"Close the door." She instructed him with a sneaky smile.

John closed the door, and locked it. He also touched a dial on the door and the glass tinted. He turned around to find her standing up, suddenly nervous in front of him. He looked at her quizzically, and walked over to her. With a sigh, they melted against each other and kissed deeply.

"What did you want to talk to me about it?" He whispered when they pulled away.

"I've been talking to Woolsey over the past months." She murmured in return. "It took some convincing, but he seemed to be much more willing to compromise. There will be more comprehensive checks of the Atlantis expedition, but," She beamed as he kissed her, sensing what she was about to say. "No court martials and no one will get fired if we're together."

John crushed her to his chest with a smile. "I love you, Elizabeth." He said as he picked her up, carrying her like a bride, and twirling her around. She laughed against his chest and she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

**XXX**

Rodney McKay was finally allowing himself to relax. After nearly six months, Atlantis was rebuilt and everything was in order. Most of the personnel was returning and the labs were being set up once more. Not to mention teams were once again being sent through the Gate. He still remembered Brian's expression when he had been promoted to major and was given his own command… with Laura as his second-in-command. That had cracked Leeds up to no end. He was probably still making her do push-ups at random moments.

It always took him a long time to stop being afraid. Every time he turned a corner, instead of seeing a random soldier or one of his own science staff, for a moment, he'd see an Asuran or a Wraith. He was a jumpy, paranoid person by nature, but it was still difficult.

After all of this time, he was beginning to relax, and he was starting to work on his side projects again, instead of just dealing with the world ending at every turn. He was bent over a microscope and taking notes on his observations when he heard the door open and nearly flinched as he looked up. His heart rate quickened, not slowed, when he saw who it was. Katie Brown. Gosh, when had she cut her hair? It looked even sexier than before…

"Hi Rodney." She greeted in that soft voice of hers, smiling.

"Oh, hi." He fumbled with the pencil he had been holding and accidentally dropped it in his nervousness. He bent to pick it up. "Hi… did you just get back?" He asked, trying to act as though he wasn't scared when he was terrified out of his poor wits.

"Yeah." She shifted slightly. "I wanted to come see you and make sure you were okay."

Rodney felt warmth blossom from his heart and spread through his body, heating him from his head to his feet at those simple words from her mouth. With that sensation as a contrast, he realized he hadn't really felt warm since before the battle… really, since he'd seen her last. He had no idea what that meant, but he didn't ever want to leave her again.

"Oh, uh… I'm absolutely fine." He stammered out. "Finally getting settled again. What about you? I know that sometimes people can be so clumsy," He nearly knocked over his microscope at his own words. "But is everything all right?"

She nodded, a smile still curving at her lips as she observed this man. "Everything's fine, Rodney."

"Well, I'm glad." He smiled in return. "You know, since we're… we're both back on Atlantis, and I don't think there's going to be any huge projects coming up for either of us…" His throat was suddenly stuck and his mind was blank. What had he wanted to say? Oh God, he couldn't remember what he wanted to ask her!

"Yes?" Rodney was further struck dumb by the way her gorgeous eyes were shimmering with happiness.

Suddenly, he remembered and squared his shoulders and tried to seem confident. "Would you be interested in… I don't know, eating dinner with me some time?" His voice wavered and cracked slightly towards the end, and he inwardly cursed himself.

However, Katie didn't seem to mind because she beamed. "I'd love to!"

God, his heart threatened to stop at the enthusiasm in her voice. Did she actually like him? Could she actually like him? She seemed to. She seemed really happy that he'd asked her. Did that mean she liked him? Or was she just being nice? Katie was definitely was one of the nicest people he'd ever met (one of the prettiest too) but he couldn't really see her as a pity-dater. Maybe she really liked him.

"Great." He nervously smiled. "I'll see you tonight?"

"Sure." She looked around awkwardly. "I should probably get back and help set everything back up." She nodded, as if agreeing with herself.

"Oh, okay." He awkwardly waved goodbye as she left.

He wondered if he should have kissed her. Or hugged her, or something. He cursed himself again. He was such an idiot! Of course he should have hugged her. But maybe she didn't want to hug him back…

Needless to say, Rodney didn't get much work done after that.

**XXX**

"Oh, Ronon, you don't have to help me." Teyla protested gently as the Satedan fairly carried her down a flight of stairs to the commissary while balancing her crutches under one arm so they did not cause her any discomfort. "Really, I could have managed on my own. This isn't the first time I have been injured."

The dark man looked down at her as he placed her down on the floor and offered her the crutches Dr. Beckett had given to her, since her foot had been badly smashed, and was slightly mangled now. She took them gratefully and gave him a smile that oddly seemed to have the ability to make his stomach flip. He had noticed she could do that to him; she who was so very sensual with every movement and every breath she took. He found himself contemplating the possibility of taking her as his wife, and it had taken him two weeks to realize he didn't feel as though he was betraying Melena.

"I wanted to." He replied simply, as though he had not been thinking of such (delightful) things.

His answer was enough for Teyla, and together, they walked to the mess hall, where she found them a small table, and, in an effort to make the beautiful Athosian woman rest, he went to get two trays of food.

Teyla smiled to herself as she watched him walk through the line, memorizing his broad shoulders and how he towered over everyone else, but never intimidated. He offered the server a grim smile, and returned to her. His dark eyes were different, she realized. In his time with her and the expedition from Earth, he had found joy with them, and she was pleased by that.

"Thank you." She smiled.

Ronon couldn't believe how stupidly tongue-tied she could make him, but he forced something out anyway. "Yeah." He quickly looked away and down at his food. At least the sandwich didn't make him feel as though he was a churning pot of so many unidentifiable emotions that he felt as though he might very well float off of the ground.

**XXX**

Just as everything was coming together on Atlantis, everything was mending itself at the SGC. Vala's shoulder was healed, and Cam's face was better. His nose looked a little weird, and Vala couldn't play basketball as well anymore, but at least they were still alive. After a small incident with some acidic berries that kept people from eating solid food for a whole week, everything was calm. Peaceful, even.

Well, as peaceful as the first line of defense for Earth can ever be at one time.

Cameron, Vala, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c were all seated in the commissary. They had just returned from a rather boring mission and had just debriefed and were getting some well-deserved food. Cameron and Teal'c were digging into some T-bone steaks, Daniel was nearly inhaling some chicken soup, Vala was enjoying strawberry ice cream, and Sam was barely touching her red Jell-O because she could only think of one person whenever she did so.

"Jack and I got married." Sam announced quietly and so suddenly.

"We know." Cameron stated as he tried to balance a spoon on his nose.

"What?" Sam asked, confused.

Vala placed her legs back on the floor, as they had been propped up on a table, and grinned. "Oh, please, Sam. You can't think we wouldn't notice."

Sam blushed. "Were we really that obvious?"

Daniel smiled softly. "No, not really. But you started actually taking leave, accepting missions to Washington, and wearing your ring on your dog tag chain. We noticed."

"It is the most agreeable match I have witnessed in my life, Colonel Carter. I wish you health, happiness and fertility with O'Neill." Teal'c inclined his head, a genuine smile gracing his dignified face.

"Thanks, Teal'c." Sam smiled, taking a deep breath and letting out a happy sigh. "We wanted to wait for a while, to just enjoy what we've been waiting for, but you guys needed to know. Jack thought you guys already knew, though… damn, I owe him a beer."

"You bet on it?" Daniel asked, amused.

"Yeah. I thought I'd be a little more discreet." She shook her head.

A deep moment passed between the friends, and then the comfortable silence was back. Cameron stood up and challenged Teal'c to a game of one-on-one basketball, and Vala said she had to catch up on her beauty sleep. Daniel moved to the seat next to Sam and embraced her tightly.

"I'm so happy for you, Sam." His voice was tight with emotion, and it brought tears to Sam's eyes. "I knew this would happen. I _**knew**_ and it killed me to see that you couldn't be together. I'm just glad you two didn't wait too long."

Sam hugged him back. "Thank you, Daniel. Thank you." She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You've been my best friend all these years, and I needed you to…" She trailed off, but Daniel knew exactly what she meant: she had needed him to approve of their marriage. She needed him to approve of her happiness because he was her best friend, the one person who had understood her when the military-hardened men couldn't, but neither could the naïve civilians.

Daniel Jackson was the only other person she needed to be happy for her, and he was happy for her. She hugged him tighter, unspeakably grateful for how her life had turned out in the end.

**XXX**

Major Brian Leeds stared at himself in the mirror. While, yes, he did think he was a rather attractive specimen of a man, that wasn't why he was examining himself closely. He had recently been promoted, since his 'Captain' had turned to 'Major'. So had Laura, by the way. She was now Captain Laura Cadman, but if Brian had bet two hundred dollars correctly, she would be Captain Laura Beckett within six months. Not to mention she was now his second-in-command. He supposed it was fitting; there really wasn't anyone else he'd trust to have his back.

Brian adjusted his BDUs and utility vest and looked at himself solemnly. He hadn't expected to live for so long. He had expected he would have died six months ago, in an attempt to save his planet, but he had been given a gift from God. He had been given a second chance at life and he wasn't going to mess it up.

He was going to stop taking stupid risks out on the field. He was going to play it as safe as he could, in memory of the best CO he'd ever had in his life: Major Evan Lorne. Brian had decided he was going to do everything he could to emulate the one creed Lorne had stuck to through hell and high water: never leave a man behind.

Most of all, Brian was going to remember that he had a lot to live for, and he was going to _**live**_. He no longer would live for the past, wondering if the woman he'd once loved would return to him, wondering if things could have been different if he could have just… and he would stop longing for all the things that were impossible.

You know, he had always been cheerful and optimistic, but while with his family, he had discovered a lot of darkness within himself. His medical leave hadn't been long enough to shine a light in all of the shadowed rooms in his soul, but he was taking small steps. Call him a sucker or a pansy; he didn't care. He was lucky enough to have realized there was something broken inside of him, and he was seeking to fix it.

"Yeah." He murmured to himself. "I'm ready to go."

He left the men's locker room and walked down the hallway. He was joined by the two other soldiers on his team: Sergeant Summers, a man around Colonel Sheppard's age by the name of Lieutenant Keegan Maddux. He gave them each a nod and led them to the Gate room. He released a deep breath as he gazed on the Stargate, the thing that had changed so many lives and so many futures.

He didn't even want to think of where he might be without the Stargate.

His attention was pulled when he saw the Gate room doors open and his second-in-command stepped in, followed by her doctor-boyfriend. They were laughing merrily at something, and looking so in love. Brian rolled his eyes at them.

"Really, you two, you might as well start making out. It's so…" He grimaced. "Disgusting how you carry on."

Laura grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't be jealous, Leeds. I know you were hoping to bag Carson." She smirked up at Beckett, who smirked back and placed an arm around her shoulders.

Brian gave Maddux a mock glare when the man sniggered. The older man coughed, pretended he hadn't done anything, and straightened up. Sergeant Summers had somehow managed to keep a straight face, but he was quickly turning an interesting shade of bright red. Brian hoped his head wasn't about to explode. That'd be bad. He was pretty sure no one else in the galaxy was able to say how hard it was to get brains out of one's uniform.

Until you'd fought the Wraith, you had **no** idea.

"Who're we waiting for, anyway?" Carson asked, after the moment for humor had passed.

Brian looked up from his P-90, which he had been checking for deformities. "Colonel Sheppard and Dr. McKay. The good doctor said we might have a civilization that could help us with some information about Wraith movement." Oh, the Wraith weren't all gone, but they were decimated. They were close. SO close.

**XXX**

John couldn't help but roll his eyes dramatically as McKay started spouting off some doomsaying crap. Honestly, the last time he'd done that, John had gotten captured by the Wraith. Despite apparent popular opinion, he didn't really like the Wraith that much. He most certainly didn't like their ships. The Hives were kind of sticky and organic.

Organic bananas were good. Organic life-sucking alien ships? Yeah, not so good.

"Rodney," John cut the scientist off in a faux-cheerful tone. "Could you shut up?"

"Oh please," The astrophysicist rolled his eyes. "You're just bitter because you have to leave your darling Elizabeth for a few days and you've only really started dating."

Sheppard really didn't have an honest answer in response to that. It was true, after all, but it wasn't like John was going to admit it to Meredith Rodney McKay. Speaking of great barbs… "You know, Meredith…"

Rodney smirked. "You think you're clever, but you're not. Nothing, and I repeat, nothing… must I say it again? **Nothing** can bother me today. I am having a good day."

"What, did you get the last thousand Power Bars?" John returned cheerfully. There, that was better, he thought as Rodney scoffed. A happy McKay wasn't something John thought he could deal with. A riled up, irate McKay was much more fun to bug.

John and Rodney walked through one more door and were in the control room, where Elizabeth waited with Dr. Zelenka. Rodney immediately went to Radek's side, and immediately, the two were arguing about one thing or another. John was also pretty sure it had nothing to do with the upcoming mission. They just argued for the hell of it, he was convinced.

John smiled as he greeted Elizabeth. "Hello." There was no pre-mission kiss for him in public. Though they were allowed to be together, it was only obvious that they should remain as professional in public. They loved each other, and were together. A relationship like that in the Pegasus galaxy wasn't safe to parade around. They waited until they were both off duty to indulge in normal couple things. John didn't mind. He'd do whatever he had to to be with her.

"Hello." She gave him a warm smile. "Colonel Sheppard, you and Major Leeds' team has Gate clearance for PX7-224. Make radio contact in twenty-four hours and give me an update."

John's heart warmed to see her. She looked so happy to be back in her city, and he could feel Atlantis' approval of her as the leader. Atlantis' gentle fingers probed a part of his mind he hadn't known he could feel and suddenly, he felt something. The essence of that 'something' was dark burgundy, and when he looked at Elizabeth, she looked shocked and confused. He closed his eyes and cut off whatever the connection was and thanked Atlantis. His solemn face explained it to Elizabeth.

Impulsively, as though she thought something would go wrong, she wrapped her arms around him briefly. "Be safe, John." She murmured. "I don't think I could lose you."

"You won't." He returned, and then followed Rodney down the stairs.

"Godspeed." Elizabeth said to the entire team, and Major Leeds nodded. She looked at Chuck, and he began to dial the Stargate.

The vortex whooshed out, and established a wormhole to their next destination.

Major Leeds and Captain Cadman stepped through first, their weapons brandished in front of them. Dr. Beckett followed, and behind him went the other two soldiers on Leeds' team. Rodney, typing away at a handheld data screen, walked through almost absently. He was only a scientist, but he'd done this a million times, and he'd do it another million times.

Colonel John Sheppard, United States Air Force, faced the blue event horizon rippling in front of him. He glanced over his shoulder, and savored a moment in the city he loved. There, on the balcony above his head, stood the woman he loved, the woman he saw when he thought of his future, his heart's desire. The humming in the back of his mind intensified as Atlantis bid him farewell for a short time. Elizabeth gave him a smile that only appeared on her face for him, and he gave her a short wave.

He released a breath, and then stepped through the Gate.

Always another mission, always more to do. A job like his was difficult because there was no down time, but there wasn't anything else he could do. This was it for him, just as the woman back on Atlantis was it. There would never be anything else, and there would never be any other for him.

And John found that his situation suited him well.

He blinked as he stepped on another foreign planet, and faced his team. Rodney was already in the process of determining if there were any odd energy readings. Sergeant Summers and Lieutenant Maddux were starting a sweep of the area, and Leeds and Cadman were awaiting orders.

"Well, kids," Sheppard smiled cheerfully. "Let's go."

**Well? Did you like it? Man... this is my second long, finished story. Over 100,000 words, too! I would appreciate it so very much if you reviewed. Give me suggestions for other stories, comments on this one, ways I could improve, anything!**


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